Savior of Darkness
by 14darkness
Summary: There's more to darkness and light than meets the eye. Jexa's the newest recruit in the Organization, a Nobody that can control darkness. As if things are ever that simple. First of three parts. No canon character pairings or yaoi.
1. Pack Behavior

New York, New York. A city filled with brilliant lights and noises that deafened those who were unused to the clamor, a place where the streets were packed with people and taxis, all trying in a hurry to go nowhere in particular. Never was it night; the lights of the little shops and towering skyscrapers made sure of that. The place could be stressful and playful at the same time. Even catastrophes couldn't dampen its spirit for long. At least, it used to be like that. Now, only the bravest souls dared to venture inside the concrete jungle and fewer still that dared to live anywhere near it. The majority of the place's new inhabitants didn't share the same lively spirit as the former ones, the new tenants being unnatural creatures that were drawn to the immense amount of life use to be there, creatures known as Heartless.

By this time, electricity no longer existed in New York City, the sun the only source of light. Today, that light did little to brighten the streets due to the cloud cover, and now the shadows grew as night approached. Being creatures of darkness, more Heartless stepped out of the gloom and into the streets, these looking like mummies with extra long arms and legs. Tonight's special was Wight Knights.

Through the shadows a girl walked, each of her footsteps measured and her eyes scouring the streets for threats. With the brown coat she wore that reached to her knees and the hood pulled up, she could pass as another apparition of the night. She fit right in with the darkness, knowing exactly which shadows would hide her best and which to avoid because they could harbor Heartless. The experience she gained from the time she spent as a leader on the streets allowed her such knowledge.A small, dark Shadow popped up from the darkness in front of her, which she dispatched quickly with her sword. _The past two years have been like this, always in a hurry, those infernal creatures jumping up out of the darkness wherever I go, wherever anyone is._ Snarling, she plunged her sword into more Heartless, each disappeared in a puff of black smoke. As willingly as she fought them, she only wanted a chance to get back to the cave in Central Park she shared with the younger children she and her friends took care of. Their parents had been turned into Heartless and they wouldn't have lasted very long on their own.

Things had been different. Two years ago few people had known about the Heartless, those who spoke of them sent to insane asylums. All that changed when the first Heartless appeared with more soon following until their world became overrun by them. Those who had dark hearts turned into Heartless, along with a few Nobodies that the remaining military forces promptly destroyed. The people who lived through the first few waves either had to learn how to survive, be killed, or be turned into a Heartless later on. Jae, the girl who fought the Heartless, found this out firsthand.

In the beginning, when the first wave of Heartless came through, she believed they would not come for her or family because they were not dark people. They had been generous and willing to help others; they had the purest souls one could ever find. All of this changed one day when she came home to find her family as Shadows, the simplest kind of Heartless. Not knowing what else to do, Jae grabbed the sword that sat on the mantle and slashed them, falling to the floor after she killed them all. The very fact that the Heartless could enter a home, a place she thought to be a safe haven, shook her, not to mention that they took her family right out from under her nose. After thinking about it for a while, she decided that there was darkness in everyone's heart and that the Heartless would attack anyone and everyone. Nowhere could be considered safe from the beasts. With her naivety gone, Jae set out to find others like her who had lost their family to the Heartless, adopting both adults and children at first, but all the adults she located turned into Heartless relatively quickly because they had turned so bitter and dark from their loss. Those who managed to fend off depression still proved to be more of a hinder than help. One time a man had nearly led a mass of Heartless straight into their hiding spot in an attempt to escape from them instead of leading them away and protecting the group like any older child would have done, so it worked better having only teens and children staying together. Plus, there was less fighting and people got along better without having an over-demanding, controlling figure looming over their heads. Twelve people stayed under one room, seven children under ten and five between eleven and eighteen. Three of them, including Jae, could fight and not become seriously wounded in the process.

The past, present, and the nature of the Heartless ran though her mind as she raced down the street, fear coursing through her as she waved the sword around frantically. The Heartless kept coming and coming without any sign of stopping their relentless attack. _What will they do if I don't come back? Roger and Alexia can't fend the Heartless off all by themselves, and Kate, little Kate, she gets so scared when I'm gone for a long time. And I have the food for the next week as well. I have to get back home, I have to! What can I do, there's so many of them and they keep coming. Ngh._ In mid-swing something clicked in her mind, making her heart harden. _This is ridiculous. Why do I doubt my capabilities or those of my friends? Sam is turning out to be quite the little sniper and should be ready to carry a gun in about a week, and Kate needs to grow up a bit. They have emergency food, so nothing horrible should happen if I don't get back. Besides, there's no reason why I shouldn't get back. I've survived for this long. _With a grimace on her face she destroyed Heartless left and right, vowing that she would see her adopted family again.

As soon as she finished off the last of the Heartless and positive no more would pop out, rain fell from the ominous black clouds, darkening the streets so much she couldn't see more than a few feet in any direction. Suddenly, more Heartless popped up from dark portals in the ground, these looking much stronger than the Wight Knights she just killed. They were completely black and had a build like a human's, but these could never be mistaken for a person.

"Neoshadows," Jae hissed. Neoshadows placed as one of the most powerful Heartless she faced on a weekly basis, but even then only one of them came at her at a time. Now five circled her like hungry sharks. "You _will_ get out of my way!" she screamed, and stabbed at the nearest one. It danced out of her reach while another slammed into her back. Gasping for breath and trying to stay upright, Jae turned around to face the attacker, but it already melted into the shadows by the time she looked back. Unlike most Heartless, Neos could melt into and out of the shadows with ease, which made them extremely hard to eliminate. The fact that they had a nasty habit of coming back out from the shadows right under their opponent's feet didn't help any. With visibility being so low Jae could not see the dark circles on the ground chasing her as she zigzagged through the street. Sometimes the tactic worked to avoid the Heartless, although it did better when she could see.

One by one the Neoshadows popped up out of the ground. Once they came out of the shadows, Neoshadows produced a ring of light, which seriously injured whatever in came into contact with. Jae ran away from them as fast as she could. However, it proved that her efforts were in vain; they had encircled her and there was nowhere to go. _What's with these guys? Heartless aren't this smart_, Jae panicked as the rings closed in on her. Luckily, they stopped before they could all hit her, but she was wounded nonetheless from the barrage of light. She evaluated her situation. She stood in almost complete darkness, only the Neoshadows' eyes could be seen, the place where she lived with her friends was a good fourth of a mile away, and the Heartless were using pack behavior instead of the straightforward attacks she normally countered.

"You guys aren't gonna make it easy on me, are ya?" she said as she stood up. "But you will make one great story: Jae defeats Neoshadows. I can see their faces now as I think about telling them how I got rid of every last one of you by myself." Jae laughed maniacally as she dashed towards the first one she saw and plunged her sword into it, making it disappear into thin air. "Who's next," she cried as she looked over the remaining Heartless. The next two attacks were successful as well, but she grew more tired by the second. It wouldn't be long before she couldn't fight any longer. As she staggered towards the next one, water streamed down from her hair into her eyes, disorientating her. The Neoshadows seized the opportunity and jumped her. It missed her chest, but it knocked into her as it flew past and caused her to fall. She barely had enough time to recover from having the wind knocked out of her before they came in for another assault.

"You…will not…have...my…heart!" she panted, pointing her sword at one of the attackers in an attempt at defense. She had seen hearts stolen from people and was not eager to experience it first-hand. Luckily, one fell on the point, but she could not defend from them both. No maneuver could have made her fast enough to slice through the second Heartless. In one swipe it had her heart in its claws. Jae stared at it for a second before darkness consumed her, the protective light she carried in her heart gone forever, but she kept fighting. _I…want…my heart…back! I…will never…give in…to darkness!_ To anyone stupid enough to stand around to watch, it looked like the girl with black hair writhed on the ground, but inside she was fighting off Heartless after Heartless with her sword. Then a new enemy appeared to take the place of the Heartless, what is called a Dusk, a type of Nobody. Jae didn't know this, nor did she care. The creature possessed enough qualities to be put in the Heartless territory for her and therefore an enemy.

Every slippery Dusk she destroyed, but more appeared from dark portals, each just as odd and varied in their looks as the next one, but Jae was in a rage. Not a single Nobody so much as touched her, but it was not enough. Despite her best efforts, the darkness consumed her just like it would have any other person.

"No!" she screamed, slashing at the black tendrils, ending up cutting herself. The darkness raced into her, taking the shortest way into her being. All of the power it provided knocked her out cold.


	2. Introductions

The next thing she saw when she woke up was a white wall. In fact, the whole room lacked any color other than various shades of white and grey, save for the view outside the one window and her black outfit. Jae stood up and looked outside at the bleak landscape. The city outside was almost as dark as the world she left; the light from neon signs outlined skyscrapers that had been packed together with no visible plan. One side showed a hint of a moon, glowing blue, mainly yellow in color, but the size couldn't be determined. One thing was certain: she was not in New York anymore. Jae kept to staring out the window, puzzled and trying to figure things out. Oddly enough, she didn't feel confused about waking up somewhere strange or angry about being kidnapped. She felt, _empty,_ when she knew the emotions that should have dominated her thinking. The absence screwed up her logical thinking, making things blur in her mind.

The door opened with a man with blue hair in an outfit matching Jae's on the other side while she wondered about her situation. Jae spared him little attention and chose to keep staring out the window.

"Number fourteen," he stated.

"Mmmh." She was the only one he could be talking to.

"You have to come with me." Jae turned around to truly look at him for the first time. His face showed no emotion, and there was a scar in the shape of an X between his eyes. His arms were crossed across his chest as if he was slightly annoyed.

"Why, Saix?" They were both shocked that she knew his name.

Saix paused for a moment before going on. "You can explain how you knew that later. Now you need to come with me."

"To, to go see, Xemnas, right?" By now she was very disorientated by all these names and the twisted way her mind was working.

"That is correct, but," he grabbed her arm. "Xemnas does not like to be kept waiting and neither do any other of members of the Organization. Let's go."

Jae hurried after Saix, knowing that her sixteen-year-old muscles would not be able to beat or outrun the man. For some reason it did not really bother her all that much, the fact only adding to her pile of what she should have been worrying about. They reached a door at which point Saix stopped. "Do not say anything while you are in there. If you remember your name, do not say it. Do you understand?" She nodded once, but he did not acknowledge it. He opened the door and walked in, motioning Jae to follow him. As she did she tried to memorize all the faces of the people sitting in the thrones above her. There were twelve, thirteen if Saix was counted, in all.

On the lowest of the seats sat a blonde boy, around age thirteen or fourteen, who was either incredibly bored or a zombie. The next lowest one held a scornful-looking woman, also with blonde hair, who looked like she would be extremely spiteful if talked to. Next there was a man with pink hair, but nothing else stood out about him. There was a man with blonde hair who had a calculating but amused look on his face above him. A dirty blonde guy with an odd hairstyle sat sprawled out in his chair, seemingly asleep. The spiky, flame red hair on the next guy, who looked nonchalant about being in the group, was a feature no one could overlook. The next seat was empty, so it must have been Saix's. A shorter man with silvery blue hair that covered one side of his face sat with narrowed eyes and his arms on their rests. In the next seat was a guy with short, brown hair and looked like he would be very tall when he stood up. The next a blonde with long hair who looked like he was in his late forties and looked at Jae like she was a test subject to be experimented on at his leisure. There was a guy with black hair that went down to his shoulders and with sideburns on his face in the next seat, and it seemed like he didn't care one bit about anything. The second highest seat held a man with an eye patch on his left eye and his hair had two close gray streaks in it, one bigger than the other, pulled back in a long ponytail. In the highest seat sat the name that Jae had correctly named as Xemnas. He had silvery hair and a pleased look on his face, his golden eyes staring down at her.

"I would like you all to meet the newest member of our Organization, Jexa, Number Fourteen," he said. The others nodded, waved, or did nothing. He made sure all the others weren't about to kill one another and put his arms on the chair rests. "This meeting is over." He put up a hand, but before he could do anything else, Saix stopped him.

"Superior, I would like to speak to you about Number Fourteen." Jae, now named Jexa, looked up at him, more confused than ever.

Most of the group groaned, but the redhead gave a tiny chuckle and looked over at the sleeping blonde. "Hey Demyx, wake up!" he yelled, slightly amused.

"Wha-, ohh, sorry about that," he said, scratching his head. Saix closed his eyes and shook his head, his emotions unreadable as always.

"You just missed the whole meeting."

Panic filled the blonde's eyes. "Why didn't you wake me up before?"

"The rest of you are dismissed," Xemnas told the group, ignoring what had happened between the two. They all nodded and disappeared into darkness, which Jexa couldn't place as either slightly disturbing or, or something else she didn't know what to call. The Superior turned to Saix. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"When I went to fetch her, she knew my name and yours with little prompting. I find this ability odd." Saix seemed very careful with his word choice. _Maybe he has no emotions and that's why he's so dull,_ Jexa joked with herself, but it wasn't very funny. She rubbed the back of her neck and made another unsuccessful attempt to straighten out her thoughts. Saix glared at her from the corner of his eye. He hated newbies and all the troubles they brought.

"And what do you make of this?" Xemnas said, ignoring what he saw as just another rivalry in the Organization.

"Perhaps she knows other things. Then again, one of our own may have visited her earlier."

Xemnas looked at her, then back to Saix. "Easily proved." He disappeared into darkness, and then reappeared near Saix and Jexa. "Fourteen, what do you know of me?"

She bit her lip and looked at his face and studied it carefully. Since he was the leader of this group she had been drafted in, she had to worj through the fog. Pictures and words flooded her mind about who had been and who he was now. "Xe… Xehanort was your, original name, when you were apprenticed to, to Ansem. You stole his name, and changed it, and-" Along with the memories came another important one: Xemnas would use the information to his advantage and something horrible would happen, though she didn't know what.

"And?" Xemnas said, intrigued.

Her eyes traced the floor. "It, it stopped. All of the information, just stopped," she lied. Both men seemed slightly disappointed, but they got over it quickly.

"If you see anything important, tell Saix," Xemnas said as he walked into darkness. Hoping to see a hint of true emotion on his face, Jexa looked up at the man with the blue hair, but his face was blank as ever.

"Do you people ever show emotion?" she asked, exasperated.

He chuckled as if he thought it to be a ridiculous question. "Of course not. We have no hearts. We are Nobodies." He walked into a dark portal and left Jexa alone in the throne room. _I feel like this should bother me, or I should want to cry or destroy all of this. I feel like I should feel something, but I don't. What's a Nobody anyway?_ She looked around the room, but saw no sign of the door they came in through. Thinking about how the others got out of the room, she held out her hand in front of her and concentrated. _A portal to my room?_ she asked, and was blown away by the darkness that appeared. Shaking her head she stood up, considering what she just did. Should she be able to do that? Was she really like those other people?

Jexa took in a deep breath and walked through, trying to ignore the fact that it was made of darkness. Strangely enough, it didn't upset her after she thought about it for a bit. When she came out the other side, the portal closed and she was indeed in her room. As she fell down onto the bed there was a knock at the door. "Come in," she groaned. Even though she was new to the Organization, she knew she would be in a lot of trouble if it was Xemnas at the door and she told him to go away. It wasn't Xemnas though, but the man whose hair was in a ponytail. Jexa laughed once, partly out of her confusion. "Hmph, I should feel honored. Number Two himself coming to see me."

He laughed heartily. "Dude, you should have seen Demyx complain when Saix said that my mission today was to tell you about the Organization." He closed the door and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Though why I couldn't train you in the field is something he didn't say." He paused and looked at the door with a slight frown. "Sooner I finish the sooner I get to go. My name is-"

"Xigbar," she muttered.

"Ha, so this is what Saix meant when he said that you may prove to be 'extraordinary'. It's not as if we find a psychic every day. I bet Vexen would love to study you, but for now I'll leave the betting to Luxord. I have to tell you other crap, as if you or I even care, right? Organization Thirteen, well I guess it's Organization Fourteen now, is a group of special-"

"Nobodies, and are special because they remember what it was like to have a heart. They are created when a person with a strong heart and will loses their heart. They are trying to complete, to complete…"

"Kingdom Hearts. Kid, are you sure that you haven't heard of us before?" Xigbar looked at her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

"No. I don't understand why I'm here. Could you tell me that?"

"Can't you put two and two together? The outfit, the naming, Number Fourteen? You're a Nobody. The thing that is left when, eh, as if I need to tell you. And why you know things I don't know. That's it. Any more questions?"

"I'm not a Nobody!" she cried, and pulled a sword out from a dark cloud of black sparks. Even with her head in a cloud, she was able to make enough sense of what Xigbar told her to come to some sort of conclusion and defense.

"Well then, a Nobody who controls darkness. My mistake. You might not be a head case after all," he told her, grinning. "See ya tomorrow. We have actual work to do then." Xigbar shut the door behind him, leaving Jexa alone with the dark sword. She tried to distract herself from her confusion by flipping it in her hands several times and reviewing over its make. The blade was almost as long as her arm, black as night, and looked darker when exposed to light. The hilt had an elegant simplicity and could be used effectively for defense without drawing attention to her hands. It weighed enough for it to slice through someone, but not enough to make it too heavy to hold for long periods of time. It matched Jexa's fighting style perfectly, almost like it had been made especially for her.

After examining it for a few minutes it too became troublesome, and not knowing what she was doing, she sent it back into the darkness. _What's going on? _she thought, freaked out. _Where did that sword come from, and why am I a Nobody of darkness? This makes no sense, and why do I know all of this? Why can't I feel any emotion, and why did Xigbar, of all the Nobodies here, have to mentor me?_ Jexa closed her eyes, frustrated by all that she didn't know.

A swirling inside her caught her attention. Looking further, she saw things, some about what had already happened and some that showed what would. It was shocking, not to mention disturbing, but she was too stunned to look away. _This makes everything even more confusing._ She buried her face in her hands, but it wasn't done with her yet. It answered her questions in order, and what she learned troubled her even more.

She was part of the Organization, a group of Nobodies trying to regain their hearts. The sword had come from the darkness itself, as it was the weapon she would be able to use the most effectively. The reason why she was a Nobody of darkness was because of the way she strengthened her heart, learning about the depths of the darkness in people and how the darkness had consumed her. She knew all of this because darkness allowed her to see into it farther than anyone else, including other Nobodies. Xigbar was her mentor because Xemnas had ordered it, but it was most likely temporary, but the shocking part was the fact that she had no heart to feel any emotion with.

"Th- that can't be true!" she mumbled, holding her head in her hands. Now even that felt wrong without the despair to go with it. "How can a person not have a heart?" The darkness inside she showed her how she had turned into a Nobody, then cut off, disappearing inside her to let her cope with what she now was. It wasn't easy for her. After an hour of pacing in her room, the amount of time it took for her to be able to think semi-clearly, she resigned to the fact that the was no other answer to her dilema.

"This is it then," she whispered. "This is all I'll ever be, just a something, never a someone." Jexa left her room and walked down the halls. Everything in the castle was white or grey, except in the one place where the floor was blue. Once in awhile she noticed another member going about his business, but they held no interest for her. They were Nobodies like her, just other half-people.

As she entered another pale room, she saw a guy, the one who was sleeping in chair during her introduction, playing some kind of instrument.

"Why are you playing?" she asked.

He stopped playing and looked at her, laying one arm over the guitar-like instrument and leaned on it. "Why the long face?"

She stared at him. She couldn't believe he asked such a stupid question. "Is there a reason why I should be _happy_ or something?"

He stared at her for a minute before recognition crept onto his face. "Aoh, you're the new member." He picked up his instrument and walked over to Jexa, holding out his hand. "I'm Demyx."

"Jexa. You slept through the meeting," she said, refusing to shake his hand. Demyx drew it back slowly.

"Okaay," he said, bothered by the awkward situation.

"Why should I be happy?" she repeated. "I have no heart, no emotions."

"We do too have hearts. Cheer up." A smile grew on his face, but it fell when Jexa glared at him.

"No, we don't."

"Well…"

"What's that thing?" she asked, changing the subject. He aggravated her, and with only a sense of aggravation and no emotion to go with it, she didn't want to continue on with the argument.

"This?" he said, proudly hoisting his instrument. "This is my sitar."

"Why do you have it?" It seemed pointless to her to have an object for pleasure if you couldn't feel pleasure.

"Why? I like playing it," he laughed. Jexa stood surprised by his laughter before she came to terms with the sound. Her hands clenched into fists and her lips curled into a snarl. Why did he insist on being so ridiculous?

"Why are you laughing? You can't feel _anything_! None of us can!" Jexa shouted.

Demyx jumped back a few steps, looking almost afraid. "That's not very nice!"

"I'm wasting my time," she muttered. When she turned around to leave, she bumped into a man a little taller than her, the one who had flaming red hair. Up close, she could see that he had emerald green eyes and teardrop tattoos underneath them. When he showed up, Demyx relaxed.

"Why the shouting?" he asked Jexa with an bemused expression.

"It's none of your business." She tried to shove past him, but he wouldn't move. Glancing up at him, she noticed that he was smirking, which earned him a glare.

"Name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

"Sure. Can I go now?"

"Aren't we touchy? Trust me newbie, we don't need another Saix." Demyx giggled when the redhead looked over his shoulder nervously after hearing light footsteps come from behind. His expression relaxed as he saw who was coming up behind him. "Roxas!" he said semi-joyfully. In the light Jexa could see that he was the boy who had seemed like a zombie. His attitude hadn't changed.

"Why are you Nobodies always acting so happy? That kid is the only one who has any sense around here," she growled.

Axel turned back around and cocked an eyebrow. "We have memories of when we had a heart. That's what we're basing it off of, I guess, although Demyx says that we have a heart."

"Yeah, sort of," the blonde whined.

"Chh, as if," a voice said from the shadows.

Axel rolled his eyes and opened a portal. "C'mon Roxas, and I'm going Xigbar." He looked at the Freeshooter and shook his head. "Sheesh, I skip one mission and Xemnas sends you to hang over my shoulder. I didn't do anything bad, really. Maybe being a Dusk would be better than this."

Xigbar stepped out of the shadows, smirking as usual. "I'll be sure to pass that on to the Superior," he teased.

Axel pulled Roxas through the portal and muttered something that didn't sound like a compliment.

Xigbar chuckled and turned to Jexa. "Man, did Axel ever have it wrong. Xemnas let me stop doing that crap a week ago."

"Then why are you here?" The darkness stirred inside her, ready to provide an answer, but she pushed it away in her moment of frustration.

"Jeez kid, let me finish. I'm your mentor, remember? Turns out that Saix wanted you to do more than sit on your butt all day. Something about 'provoking dormant memories.' Whatever man." He opened a portal and walked through it, Jexa following suit. It led to a small island with beautiful sandy white beaches and a few signs that people might have lived there once. There was a bridge, a hut, and a couple of walkways, but it didn't seem like anyone stayed there.

"Why are we at Destiny Islands?" she asked dryly.

"Very good Jexa! You passed your first test," Xigbar said, grinning. Another portal to a different world opened, courtesy of Xigbar, and the same thing was repeated. They did this seven or eight times, Jexa naming a world and Xigbar commenting, before she snapped. The stress and Xigbar's carefree attitude overruled the logic that said being angry wouldn't help.

"This makes no sense! You're supposed to be trying my memories, not going around the universe!" she yelled when they had reached a place that was squishy and colorful. "I swear, one more world and I'm going back."

"As if. You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna bet?"

"Nah. That's no fun if Luxord or Zexion isn't here." Xigbar laughed at some memory. "Oh man, was that ever fun trying to get emo kid to gamble, and when he got annoyed he could only hit me with his book. That's a lot different from Xaldin's stabbity anger issues, so _never_ get him mad."

"Why are you laughing?" Jexa said, upset by his behavior. She still felt empty, so why didn't he? They were Nobodies. Nobodies couldn't feel anything. Nothing was humorous to them, yet Xigbar was having the time of his life. "Axel couldn't tell me well enough," she put in when she didn't get her answer fast enough.

"If I want to laugh, then I will. Simple. Now, where are we?"

"We're inside Monstro. It's weird here. Why couldn't we have gone to Neverland? We've been almost everywhere else," she complained.

"Actually, I think that we've been everywhere else, and you hit that one on the head."

"No, we didn't go to Halloween Town, the Pridelands, or Neverland or a bunch of other places," she grumbled, hoping he wouldn't hear her. However, that was the answer he wanted.

"If I didn't know any better I would say that you've been to these places." He shot a Heartless down with his Arrowguns and grinned widely. "I should take you to this one last place…"

Jexa brought her sword out, daring Xigbar to push her that last inch. He laughed and opened a portal back to the castle. Jexa was loath to stay in the weird world for too much long, so she went through with only a grumble.

When they came back out, Saix stood in the Grey Area in wait for members to return.

"Isa, nice to see you. You've made me feel as if someone in this world cares, waiting for us like this." Xigbar touched his chest mockingly and cocked his head a bit.

Saix returned the fake friendliness with cold eyes. "Braig. What did Jexa tell you?"

"Aw, no friendly convo?" He stood there, trying the Luna Diviner's patience to the point that it almost snapped before starting up again. "She said that they weren't memories and we went to a lot of worlds and she named 'em."

"If they weren't memories, then what were they? And that was not a substantial test."

"Hey, I'm still here," Jexa interrupted. Both men looked at her like they couldn't believe that she was still standing there. "And they aren't memories, it's the darkness."

Saix looked at her curiously. "And how did you come by the information exactly?"

"I already told you, the darkness told me. I don't know exactly how," she said, exasperated and trying to strangle the last bits of confusion.

"Well, see you two tomorrow," Xigbar said as he turned away.

Saix glared at him as he left. "He will not be your mentor. I see now that being a founding member has made no impact in his ability to teach others. I will show how things are done in the Organization tomorrow, then perhaps Zexion will have enough time to show you a few things." He went after Xigbar before waiting for Jexa's reply.

She left the Grey Area with a foul disposition. The man with pink hair stopped her on the way back.

"You," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Would be the new recruit, correct?"

"Yes."

He smiled, a fact that upset her a bit. Why did all of these Nobodies insist on faking emotions?

"Perhaps you would like to help my friend and I with something?"

"I see no reason to," she said bluntly. _Especially when you're making me so uncomfortable._ She ground her teeth together at the thought that the emotions act was contagious.

He misread her annoyance and let go of her shoulder, thinking that something he said made her upset. "Why you should not contribute to our cause would be a better question to ask yourself."

"I don't even know what you're 'cause' is." When she started to walk away he followed.

"It will be worth the trouble, I promise you. However, I regret that I am unable to inform you of any details unless you agree."

Jexa cast him a poisonous glare and stopped. She let the darkness inside, which had been coursing through her in waves since Marluxia showed up, come to the surface and take her over. "Marluxia, I am tired of going around in circles with you. I'm happy that I won't have to deal with you much longer."

He began to say something but decided against it and opened a portal to Castle Oblivion to talk with Larxene. What Jexa had said disturbed him greatly. The blonde was already there, still not finished with her mission for the day.

"What is it Marly?" she said in a falsely sweet voice, a dangerous tone for Larxene. "I have the wonderful task of setting up this place for that nobody of a Nobody. Can you believe this? And then I'm going to have to teach that little Keyblade brat magic! Ugh."

"It is that new one, Jexa isn't it, who is very, odd. She knows something, or somethings," he muttered pointedly, ignoring her complaints completely.

In a second all of the stress disappeared from her face to be replaced by excitement. "Want me to teach her a lesson, or maybe you want me to find out how or what she knows?" she asked as she brought out her knifes, a wicked smile on her face. A glance from Marluxia wiped it away. She tossed her knifes over her shoulder with a sigh. "If there's nothing I can do then why are you here? And if she knows, why do we let her go free?" She paused for a moment. "Who could have told her? Can't I do a little something later Mar Mar?"

He turned his back to her. In his rush he had forgotten to fully grasp what the newest member had said. "I, I'm not sure exactly, and I do not care what you do to her. We are keeping a low profile though, remember?" He sighed. "I think she unnerved me, that is all. Never mind."

She sighed, tossing the knives over her shoulder and relishing in the sound of something breaking. If anyone else had done that, she would have torn their head off and forced them to do the rest of the work, the thought making the rest of her annoyance vanish. "Marly, get your facts straight next time before you come running to me. At least you've given me a reason to leave this crappy job. 'Marluxia interrupted me and I thought it would be better to go back another day and finish when he wasn't there so I could do a good job for the Organization.'" She opened a portal back to the castle. "If we're going to do this, we need to make sure things are perfect. You know that, right?"

Marluxia tossed his pink hair, sending rose petals into the air. "I am the leader of this, Larxene. Know your place."

She laughed once. "As if you know yours. Ugh, now I'm starting to sound like Xigbar." She entered the open portal, leaving Marluxia alone. Some time passed before Marluxia went back as well, wondering if perhaps he was mad.


	3. Major Headaches

Meanwhile, Jexa closed the door to her room and landed facedown on her bed. _I hate this place,_ she thought. _It's full of idiots._ As if to prove her point, loud, familiar music erupted from the room on the other side of the wall. "Demyx," she growled. Jexa stomped out of her room and tried to open his door, but it was locked tight. "Demyx!" she screamed, making the music stop abruptly. "If you don't stop playing I'm gonna come in and murder you!"

The music started up again, accompanied by laughter. "Now who's getting all emotional?" He started playing a happy tune just to annoy her and turned his amplifiers up. Even he didn't know how exactly he saved up for them, being as lazy as he was. "See, even you have a heart."

That did it. She didn't even take the time to hack the hinges off the door like she planned and opened a portal into his room instead. Demyx's face changed into a mask of horror when he saw just how angry she had become.

"You people, no, you freakin' _Nobodies_, get on my nerves so much," she growled as she summoned her sword. "How is that even possible?"

His hand levitated towards the strings of his sitar to fight her with the water he could manipulate so well, but he thought better of it. If she so ticked off about some music and was ready to attack him, what she would do if he drenched her? Besides, he just installed the blue carpet he had saved up several months for. After reviewing his leftover options, he dropped the sitar, ran over to the other wall and began banging on it. "Axel, she's gonna kill me!" he cried.

"What did you steal from Larxene this time?" was the bored, muted response from the other side, followed by a bang and swearing.

"Nothing, and it isn't her! It's the new kid!" When he saw that Jexa was running out of patience, he summoned a few Dancer Nobodies for her to deal with. "Please hurry," he whimpered, his back pressed against the wall.

Axel showed up just as Jexa finished the Dancers off. "Couldn't you have dealt with her yourself? I nearly had my fire trick down when you started trying to break down the castle."

The blonde's wide eyes grew even wider as he shook his head. Axel sighed and uncrossed his arms. "C'mon kid," he said and dragged Jexa through the still-open portal.

"Wha- Let go of me!" she shouted. "Leggo!" He did, but he flung her into the wall of his room. She cast him a glare and opened another portal into Demyx's room. A wail could be heard from the other side. "I'm gonna kill him," she muttered.

"I'll just bring you back if you go over there and I'll keep doing it until I'm sick of it," Axel told her.

"Then what?" she said with one foot in the portal.

He shrugged. "Burn you, or maybe I'll just set you on fire."

Jexa paused and sighed, then closed the portal and sat down on the bed and focused on Axel's face. It was screaming of barely contained laughter.

"What's with you guys?" she hissed. "You're all Nobodies but you're so emotional."

"If you hadn't noticed, you've been getting bent out of shape yourself lately." He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. The poor kid hadn't even been given the option of joining the Organization like everyone else or told what it would be like not to have a heart. They threw her in and expected her to make it on her own. He pitied her a little, not that he wanted to help. If the Organization thought she was strong enough to survive, then let her sink or swim on her own. Still, with that lost puppy face, she looked rather frail and vulnerable. He chuckled and leaned back. "Newbie, you're going to be more trouble than you're worth, I know it."

Jexa snapped out of her own thoughts, visibly becoming slightly more reserved. "What?"

He chuckled. "We may not have hearts, but putting on a display of emotions is better than being cold." Axel's eyes turned dark. "I wonder sometimes how Saix stands it," he muttered, then laughed half-heartedly. "Anyway, I guess it's almost, hope, for a heart, I mean. It also helps to remember what it was like to have a heart. That helps you get it?" The return to the talk about emotions changed the subject, but she didn't catch it.

Jexa nodded slowly. Having hope wasn't a feeling so Nobodies could think it even if they couldn't feel hopeful. Memories were nice and keeping them fresh was almost as important to her as anything. As she thought about this, her eyes wandered around the room until they locked on to a big black spot on the wall. Curious, she pointed to it. Axel scratched the back of his head.

"Fire trick I nearly had down until Demyx made me loose my concentration."

"Shouldn't you be practicing those _outside_ the castle?"

He jumped off the bed and walked over to his closet. "Nah. Saix would kill me if I practiced it outside with my hood off, which is what I need to do with first time fire stuff. Besides, it's a bit draining to make portals all the time, y'know? Ah ha, here it is," he said, pulling out a bucket of white paint.

Jexa's eyes narrowed. "I don't know, and why do you have paint in your closet?"

"Do you really think this is the first time this has ever happened? Xemnas finally quit trying to persuade me to stop and gave me the paint to cover up the burns." He paused in his painting as if he had just heard the first part. "What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

"'I don't know' as in it doesn't bother me to make a bunch of portals. I made a few today and I'm not tired or anything." Now that she thought about it, Xigbar looked drained at the end of the mission.

"Huh. Darkness your element or something?" She nodded. "Fire, obviously," he said, touching his hair and trying very hard not to get any paint in it. Even though none got in it, some did land on his boots. "Aw, I just got these and Zexion doesn't have any spares," he whined.

Jexa rolled her eyes and hopped off the bed. "I'm going back to my room," she said as she left.

"Try not to be too loud. Demyx and I could care less, but Larxene is across the hall from you," he warned.

"I think that I can take care of the blonde," she said, the darkness providing her some information about number XII.

"Your funeral," he muttered.

As she was opening the door to her room, Larxene pulled her hair. Jexa stumbled back and winced.

"Ow, what was that for?" she hissed.

Larxene put her hands on her hips. "Just stay out of our way and everything will go along smoothly," she said, then opened the door to her room and slammed it behind her.

"Weirdo," she muttered, rubbing her head. Jexa went into her own room and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Being transformed into a Nobody really took it out of a person.

That night her mind was filled with dreams that mostly consisted of Marluxia and Larxene. She saw them fighting a spiky-haired boy with the same blue eyes as Roxas at some points and talking to a girl with really pale hair at others. Axel would talk to them as well and so would the old guy with the blonde hair, the blue-haired kid, and the tall guy with the reddish hair. They all interacted in a castle like the one that they lived in but slightly different. Everything seemed, wrong, twisted, as if there was something going on that she should know about, something that the whole of the Organization should know about but was kept well hidden. At the end of the dream Marluxia, Larxene, the blue-haired guy, the old guy, and the tall person couldn't be found.

In the morning Jexa woke up with a wicked headache. Every muscle in her body tensed and she gritted her teeth to keep from crying out. Blood pounded so loud that it echoed in her ears. It felt like someone wanted to fold her brain into itself. Even so, Saix wouldn't let her skip a day. A few knocks on the door sounded like someone trying to bash in her skull. Mental discomfort bothered her much more than physical pain.

"Jexa," came Saix's voice from the other side of the door. "You need to get up. You have to start on your mission for today."

She whimpered and curled up farther, trembling. His voice grated on her ears just like the knocks did. In this state, she couldn't notice how exasperated he sounded, a warning sign all the other members knew meant he had no patience left, or any to begin with, for that matter.

He opened the door and saw her lying there. "Demyx tries that trick all the time. Get up."

She managed to mumble a few words to save her head. "I'll do twice the work tomorrow, I promise. Just leave me alone." She buried her face in her pillow to relax a little bit.

A normal person would have believed her, or even a few Nobodies in the Organization, but not Saix. He moved over to her bedside and dragged her out of it. Her fall was not a graceful one.

"Nnaahh!" she cried as her head hit the floor.

"So you were telling the truth?" Saix asked, still doubtful.

"What do you think?" she growled. The headache was starting to recede, now a little less than unbearable.

He paused and looked down at her lying on the floor with her head in her hands. She was so weak that she would allow a little headache to ruin her day? Sure, he never had a bad one, but still, and why would Xemnas bring her into the Organization if she were going to be like this? He hadn't gone along with letting her in originally since she was so young, and now this.

"Do you guys dream?" she asked, seeing she wasn't getting an answer from him. Her head still hurt but not enough to keep her from asking questions.

"What?" Saix's eyes narrowed, as he was annoyed before she started asking random questions. "Of course we don't. Why would we? Dreams are from the heart. Why do you want to know?"

Jexa looked away from him. "No reason."

"If you're going to be part of the Organization you are going to have to learn to be a better liar."

Jexa swirled around so fast that her diminishing headache came back full force. She winced and glanced at him through one eye, a weak portrayal of a question received by Saix.

"It isn't that hard to tell," he said. "As I said, you're a horrible liar."

She staggered upright and gave him a feeble smile. This was going nowhere. "It's not so bad now, I guess. I can go on with whatever the mission is." When she was almost at the door she stopped, nearly causing Saix to run into her. Her question still bugged her and she needed a better explanation. "I had a dream last night," she whispered.

Saix put a hand on her shoulder to make sure that she couldn't leave. Good thing too, since she tried to make a break for it almost as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Never mind."

"You are a-"

"Terrible liar, I know," she said, wanting to get on with the mission. When she didn't say anything else Saix let go of her and escape. Jexa sprinted down the corridors, each footstep sending waves of pain through her head, but for the moment she didn't care. However, without emotions to encourage fleeing, that resistance couldn't be kept up. She walked after passing three corridors and followed the slope of things up. Near the top was a room with fourteen different blue panels, each showing a picture of a different weapon. She walked up to the first one that had something on it that looked like jagged blades of plasma. Underneath it there was a caption reading 'The Superior'. The darkness inside her told her that the room she was in was called 'Proof of Existence' and each Nobody in the Organization had one of the plaques with the picture of their weapon and their title. On the end of the left row she noticed one standing alone with her sword on it, so it must have been hers, but it glowed black. Frowning, she felt a set of eyes boring into her. She knew it was Saix since no one else cared where she went. After a few minutes one waiting for the other to make a move, Jexa turned around to see him with his claymore drawn.

"Is this your answer?" she asked coolly, the darkness giving her calm, strength, and understanding in her time of need.

"You cannot be a Nobody if you have dreams," he accused.

"Don't you even want to know what it was about?" His lips tightened, which she took as a yes. "Random stuff about Larxene and Marluxia involving a few other members in some insane plot." She laughed. "I'm going to be killed over something I don't really know about." She turned back around to her picture, wondering what it would look like a second before death. In a way, she guessed that she had already died once when the Heartless took her heart. Now Saix would kill her again. It didn't get any worse than that.

Saix stood there shocked. He had seen her the other day say things about the Superior, things no one should know, but this was an entirely different matter. Both he and the Superior knew she had a gift of sorts, but this differed from telling about someone's past. Xemnas had suspected Marluxia and Larxene doing something and made a plan to send them to Castle Oblivion and make Axel a spy, but how did she know? She had said something about the darkness telling her things, but that could have been an act. "Tell me who else was in that, dream, of yours," he ordered.

"There was Marluxia, Larxene, uh, three I don't know, and Axel.

"'Don't know' meaning what?"

"I saw them, I know they're in the Organization, but I don't know what their names are. One was really tall, one had bluish hair that covered part of his face like mine but not pulled back, and one had long blonde hair but wasn't Larxene, Demyx, or Roxas."

Marluxia, Larxene, Axel, Zexion, Vexen, and Lexaeus, the Nobodies who were going to C.O and no one else. He put away his claymore, moved over to her and grabbed her arm.

Jexa looked up with annoyance written on her face. "I'm sick of people pulling me everywhere. Leggo." Saix loosened his grip and she tugged it out of his hand. "So you're not going to kill me?" she joked.

"No. I'm taking you to Xemnas."

Jexa stiffened. The fact that her plaque had resumed its normal blue color meant nothing, as she could be turned into a Dusk and still be alive.

He noticed but didn't care whatsoever. "Get up or I will come back and drag you through the portal." With those comforting words he opened one and walked through. She followed, as miserable as a Nobody could be.

On the other side she wasn't standing up but sitting in her own chair in the room she had been in when she had been introduced to everyone. Saix sat in a seat higher up and Xemnas in the tallest one just like before. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw him there but he took no notice.

"What is it Saix?" he asked, bored. He had better things to do than listen to Saix's latest reports and what a member had done wrong.

"Jexa has some information that she would like you to hear."

Jexa groaned quietly as Xemnas glanced her. He seemed happier, maybe only more pleased, than the last time she had saw him. "Superior, I, saw things," she mumbled, not daring to look at him.

"Yes?" he asked, intrigued. He remembered the last time she had known about something and how interesting that had been. If anything, it should be entertaining for him.

"There were a few people in it, mainly Marluxia and Larxene and Axel a little bit less. I forgot to tell Saix, there was a boy in it too that I've never seen before."

"What boy?" they said simultaneously.

Jexa shrank into her seat a little. "A kid with spiky brown hair, and he looked a little bit like Roxas."

An excited spark appeared for a second in both Saix and Xemnas' eyes before it disappeared. _I'll have to find out who that kid is,_ she thought, but the darkness wouldn't recognize her request. _Stupid dreams. Know now, I get specifics. Dream it, I just get to know._

After talking quietly for a few minutes, Xemnas looked at Jexa, seeming to be very content. "Jexa, for the next few days I have a special mission for you." _Here it comes, a death mission. I bet he wishes that he never let me in._ "I want you to go to Castle Oblivion and work with Axel."

"What? Why?" she said, surprised.

"Your insights provided us with the information we desired, and we hope Castle Oblivion will aid you in understanding more."

She nodded slowly. "When am I leaving?"

"Two days, one if you don't count today."

"Day after tomorrow, got it. Should I tell Axel?"

Xemnas thought it over for a second. "If you feel the need. Saix, you are going to be showing her around the castle and explaining the basics?"

"Yes Superior."

"Very good." The pleased expression remained on his face. To Jexa, it was a bit disturbing.

"Jexa, we should be going," Saix said.

"Oh, right." At the mere thought of leaving she was already gone and in the Grey Area with Saix.

"Let's get this done quickly," he sighed, leading the way out. Even though he should have been showing her around the castle, half the time she would know the name of the room and blurt it out before he ever got the chance to say anything. By the time they reached Nothings Calling, Saix had made her swear to shut up.

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew the castle inside and out before we started this?" he asked, exasperated.

"I didn't know until you took me around the place," she murmured, hoping that if she didn't provoke him he wouldn't take her back to Xemnas. The Superior brought up many memories of being terrified, the closest she could be to being scared. No wonder everyone else did whatever he wanted him or her to do without question. Axel wouldn't go to C.O with Larxene if he had any choice.

Saix closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying hard not to go berserk on Jexa. This was too much for him to absorb in one day. "I'm glad you wasted my time. Do you know what the Organization does?" he questioned, unwilling to waste any more time with an entry into a new conversation.

She shrugged. "Not specifically."

Saix sighed and focused on the moving wall in the background. "Let me spell it out for you. The Organization's goal is to complete Kingdom Hearts and get back our own hearts. You must help us reach this goal because you are a member of the Organization."

She considered the prospect with some difficulty. "How will Kingdom Hearts give me my heart back? What's Kingdom Hearts anyway?"

"It has the power to do so, so it will. It is only a moon," he stated, the theory he prepared for others coming naturally. To him, it was more than a moon, but he never told anyone else that.

Jexa didn't agree with him but couldn't find a different explanation. She nodded reluctantly, giving him permission to carry on.

He decided to finish the lesson in one lecture. "You are expected to help the Organization in any way possible. Your missions for the day will be carried out on that day. Sometimes you will be given chores to do around the castle or for the other members, but mostly manual labor will be punishment for a small crime, such as pulling pranks and the like. Major crimes, such as attempting to desert the Organization or killing or attempting to kill another member will result in elimination. Do not annoy Larxene, as she will electrocute you, or Xaldin, as he will spear you. Do not mess with Vexen's equipment, as he will do something horrible to you, or, perhaps I should make you a list of what you should not do to other members. It would take too long to list them all verbally. Don't use Corridor of Darkness inside the castle unless it's in the Gray Area. Lastly, conceal your identity. We run a stealth operation. I believe that is all."

She let out a relieved breath. "Good to know. Can I leave now?"

"Go. That was your mission for the day."

"'Kay." Jexa opened a portal to Traverse Town to get something to eat. There hadn't been anything in the kitchen.

"Maybe I'll get some food for the others here," she mumbled to herself as she entered a small store. 'Small' might have been a compliment. A few basic foods, like eggs and fruit, and a few bits of junk food here and there made up the inventory. The lighting didn't do much to illuminate anything, just like the outside. Jexa liked the scenery.

"Welcome," said an overly cheerful woman with a singsong voice. "What do you need?"

"Um, some bread, milk, eggs, chips if you have them," she told her, remembering what she should need from the days when she had to take care of the children. Now, she had no idea why she did it. If she had looked out for herself she wouldn't be a Nobody and she would be sitting in a hideout alone and safe.

"That's all over there," the clerk said without looking up from her accounting. The cheery woman scowled at her, but it was comical more than anything else. She moved into the back room, slamming the door behind her. Both Jexa and the clerk forgot about her as soon as she was gone.

"Thanks."

"You have munny don't you?" the clerk put in.

"Uh, no."

She clicked her tongue. "No munny, no business."

"How can I get munny?"

"Ask around for a job. There will always be someone who was stupid enough to wander into District Two and leave something there when they were running from the Heartless."

"Are there no Heartless in this District?"

The clerk looked up from what she was doing and studied Jexa, then smiled. "New person?" Jexa nodded hesitantly. "Well, they said that we wouldn't be having any more new people but one or two usually come a week. Not as bad as it was, but that's still one or two worlds a month." She sighed and shook her head. "Anyways doll, you might want to try something easier than fighting Heartless if you've never met one before. Nasty little buggers."

Jexa chuckled as she walked towards the door. "I've met my fair share."

"Don't let them win doll!" the clerk shouted as Jexa was almost out the door. "Run if you have to."

"Oh, I've learned my lesson," she whispered as the door closed. "Now I need to find a job, and the jobs would be where? That lady would have done better telling where than warning me about Heartless. What could they do to me anyways?"

"I've seen them do a lot," said a voice from the shadows. Jexa jumped and pulled out her sword, then remembered to put up her hood. Saix really would snap if she left it down any longer.

"Come out," she ordered. A man with brown hair and a pale scar that crossed his face stepped out of the shadows. At the sight of him she sent her sword away, although whether that idea had any perks she didn't know. "Leon, what are you doing here?"

His eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?"

Jexa shoved her hands into her pockets and refused to answer. Leon leaned against the building, mimicking her silence. She put her hood up before he could get a good look at her face, but where was the sword he saw her carrying a few moments ago? It had been unique in its design, not moogle-created or any other type of synthesis he had ever seen, and it definitely didn't fit in the Keyblade category. He was about to ask her before she interrupted his train of thought.

"Uh, do you know where I can find a job? My friends keep eating us out of house and home."

Leon pointed to a plaza where many people relaxed and chatted. "There is probably someone over there who could use the help."

"Thanks," she said as she walked off. Leon's eyes narrowed as she left. He wouldn't forget her in a hurry.

Jexa moved as quickly as she dared. Something told her she would regret meeting Leon later. At least he told her where she could get a job. When she got down there she didn't even have to ask anyone for work.

"Miss?" a little girl said, tugging on Jexa's coat. She looked down at the little mite. "I lost my dolly behind the gates. Can you get it for me? I'll give you this." The little girl held up a small sack of munny to her. Jexa took it and put it in her pocket.

"You could get a new doll for that much."

"I know," she said, beaming. "My mommy gave me that to get a new one but I don't want a new one. I want Allie."

Jexa rolled her eyes. A heart gave a person ridiculous attachments like that. It almost made her glad she lost her own. "Whatever kid. I'll get your doll for you."

"Yay!" The girl jumped up and down clapping her hands as Jexa went through the gates that held back the Heartless in District Three.

"What was a little kid doing here?" she wondered as she slashed through a Heartless. "And who was the idiot who let her in?"

She searched the whole area of the District before finding the thing in a corner of the square, far from any exit. "How did you get all the way over here?" she asked it, flipping it over and over in her hands. When she turned around to leave a mass of Heartless blocked her way out.

"Oh leave me alone," she whined, and to her shock, they did. She left the District laughing. The whole thing had taken three times less time than she had thought since she hadn't had to fight very many Heartless. The little girl was waiting for her in one of the two patches of grass. She ran over at the sight of Jexa and snatched the doll out of her hands.

"You found Allie! Thanks a lot!" With that she ran away to a woman who must have been her mother. Jexa didn't care about what happened to either of them, nor the fact that the woman had a look of extreme gratitude on her face. She searched the District for other jobs and ignored the 'thank you's' she received after she finished each one.

"This would be it," Jexa said, placing all of her items down on the counter. She had done a few more jobs and then returned to the store to buy her stuff.

"Well doll, I didn't think that you would do it. So many people here are lazy bums that you don't know who will do what."

"Mmh."

"Y'know, many more people should be like you."

Jexa laughed as she took her bags. "I don't know about that."

"Aw, please doll. Claim your praise," she said, leaning on the counter and counting the munny. "'Aey, what's the deal with the hood?"

"The hood? Heh, I should have had it on when I came in here. Can you keep me a secret? And I'm not going to take any praise that I don't think I should be getting."

"Sure sure. There's a bunch 'o people like you coming in through here, always just passing through. You gonna stay here?"

"I have to go," she said, shaking her head as she left.

The clerk waved to her. "Come back sometime, 'kay doll?"

"Mmh." Once she was outside she opened a portal back to the castle. She ended up in the kitchen, a good thing since it was a long walk to the kitchen from her room or the Grey Area. Jexa started up the burner and threw some eggs into a pan. Soon they were done and ready to eat. Despite being red hot, she woofed them down like there was no tomorrow. It had been awhile since she had eaten and even longer since she had eggs. Even though she had only cooked two, she was full by the time she had eaten them and a slice of bread. Jexa put away the food and walked down to her room to fall into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Real Mission

The next morning she woke up without a headache. She got up and went down to the Grey Area where she saw the person with the bluish hair. When he saw her he walked over to her.

"Hi Zexion," she said. _So that's his name._

"Hello Jexa," he said, making the assumption that she knew his name because someone told her. "Today I have to show you magic."

"Magic?" she asked, curious. No magic existed back in her world.

Zexion nodded. "Tell Saix you're leaving, then we can go. I'll explain there."

Jexa didn't say anything and moved over towards Saix. He gave her a small piece of paper with her instructions on it. "Follow this," he told her as she read it. "Zexion may be your mentor for the day, but Xemnas has made me your permanent mentor. This is what I want you to do. Listen to what Zexion says as well."

She pursed her lips. He had taken up her offer of doing as twice as much work in one day even though she hadn't stayed in her room. Great. "Okay," she said without any hint of the resentment she harbored a moment before, then headed back to Zexion. On the way back she read over her card again.

_Jexa,_

_Here is a list of what you are going to do today:_

_-Learn basic magic_

_-Follow Zexion once your mission is done_

_-Report back here_

_Saix_

She pocketed the card and followed Zexion through a portal. When she came out, the eternal sunset of Twilight Town shone down on her face. As pretty as it looked, she wished that the sun would set, even if only for a moment, to end the limbo. Zexion cleared his throat, returning her attention to him.

"Now, the first thing to do is figure out what type of magic you excel in," Zexion said, his hand on his Lexicon. "For example." Suddenly the scenery changed to a place the darkness had no information on. It did have information on Zexion, however, and told her that he could make illusions.

"Nice," she said, looking around the fake blackness. If she stared at one spot for long enough, that piece of the place seemed to waver. "So is this magic or learning how to perfect our element?"

He closed his book, making things go back to normal. "Both. First we need to know what your element is."

"Darkness," she said without hesitation.

"Alright, but only if you're sure. Demyx said that his element was something ridiculous and ended up bedridden for a week."

Jexa raised an eyebrow. Even for Demyx that was majorly stupid. "And you let him do that?"

"No, Xaldin did. He couldn't care less about those like Demyx." He shook his head slightly. The Whirlwind Lancer needed an attitude adjustment. "Anyway, we need to get on with the mission. The first thing to do is tap into your element."

She waited for the next set of instructions, but he wouldn't give them to her until she finished the first one. Sighing, she went deeper into her being than she ever had need to before. Inside, her darkness was a sleeping creature that raised its head on her arrival. To her, it was a beautiful, elegant thing, but to anyone else it would seem like a horrid, hideous beast, something like a deformed Possessor. Still, Jexa couldn't stand to stay away and she had to reach out to touch it. Once it was under her hand she felt an incredible rush of power, like she could fight off anything that came her way. When she opened her eyes Zexion nodded with approval.

"Your scent is slightly different, so you must have done something right. Now, summon your weapon." Once she had her sword in her hand Zexion opened his book again. "Now, fend me off."

"I thought that we were going to do magic," she said, confused.

"We are. At some point you should know what you have to do." With that he disappeared as the strange scenery came back.

"I hate these illusions," she grumbled. "Ow!" Something whacked her in the back of the head.

"Where am I Jexa?" Zexion's voice taunted. She sliced into thin air in hopes of hitting something or distracting him. There was a faint chuckle as she grimaced. "That won't do and you know it. What can you do?"

"I don't know! How can I fight you if I can't see you?"

"Find me," he repeated, his voice softer. Another blow was landed on Jexa, this time on her back.

"Quit!" she shouted, throwing a punch so hard she spun around. Again, she struck nothing, but something clicked, like suddenly there was some other weapon in her possession. It was almost like some type of radar.

"What do you do Zexion? You can't do this all the time," she said, talking to keep him busy as she tried to figure out how to use the radar-like ability.

The swirling scenery shimmered for a second, showing his uncertainty. "I normally show people what their hearts want to see or what they fear the most."

"That would work well," she said, walking around the place slowly with her sword up, using the weapon as a prop. Already she knew that her ability was linked to the darkness inside her, but she didn't know exactly what it that ability entailed. Usually the darkness gave her information, told her what she wanted to know. How was that linked to anything?

"Yes, it normally does." Jexa could hear the smirk in his voice as he came in for another hit. She jumped to the left and rammed into him, knocking the wind out of them both. Then it clicked.

Zexion's whole 'scent' thing was darkness-based. He was almost as in tune with it as Jexa, and that was the reason why she got it when she hit him. Her 'radar' could locate the darkness in other people, and then what she could do with it was her choice. It was a new thing to her, but the darkness had been controlling people's hearts for a long time. Grinning, she held her sword out in front of her as Zexion moved away slowly. He couldn't hide now. The darkness inside of him shone like a beacon.

_I wonder if I could control it,_ she wondered. _Axel can do whatever he wants with fire, so why can't I do whatever I want with darkness?_ Jexa's grin grew as she put her palm out to face Zexion. She felt him falter, the second of pause all she needed. With the mere thought of being in touch with Zexion's darkness she was, and when she thought about how nice it would be for the illusion to go away, the place shook like the place could fall down at any moment.

"What?" Zexion exclaimed.

"This is what you mean then?" _Stop_. His darkness sat down and obeyed, waiting for her next command. It was more prominent than hers, bigger and more aggressive, but the same thing still comprised of darkness. Jexa backed out of Zexion's head to find him collapsed on the ground, barely able to support himself. At the sight of him she released her hold on his darkness, and with the spell broken he regained control of himself.

"What was that?" he asked, a bit dazed.

Jexa shrugged. "I think that I controlled you by controlling the darkness within you."

Zexion nodded. "Perhaps I should have thought of that." He mulled things over. "Can you control a type of Nobody?"

"Other than you?" she teased. When he didn't laugh she dropped the act. "I'm not sure."

Zexion opened a portal, and still in her element, she knew that it was not back to the castle. "That's fine. Not all of us have a specific Nobody that we can control. Only the most important of us have them," he said with a bit of contempt. With that he left, Jexa following close behind him. The power she gained from the darkness could not be accessed every time, only now as beginner's luck.

Normally the In Between was no place to hide, so Zexion didn't think that Jexa would be able to follow him without his figuring it out fairly quickly. However, he did not take into account the fact of her element and that the In Between was comprised of almost complete darkness. Jexa was able to hide in the shadows fairly well and keep an eye on him. When he opened a portal she kept it open, only as large as a small keyhole though. In the other room Marluxia and Larxene stood with Zexion.

"Zexy, so glad you made it," Larxene said. Marluxia nodded in agreement.

"We were hoping that you would come. Vexen, Lexaeus, and Axel just left. So, you are willing to join us?"

"My mission is going to be here anyway, so I do not see why not."

Larxene clasped her hands together. "That's great. Thanks a lot."

Marluxia gave her a glare then looked back at Zexion. "See you back here tomorrow. We'll tell you what you need to do."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with the Organization's goals," Zexion mumbled. Neither Jexa nor Marluxia or Larxene heard him. Whatever Xemnas said they should do, he would do. They had known each other since they were Somebodies, so his loyalties belonged to the Superior. "Yes, I'll see you here." He made a portal to the castle and went back. Jexa nearly left as well, but stopped when she heard Marluxia and Larxene talking.

"Why did you let _him_ in? He isn't as blind as Lexaeus and not as greedy as Vexen or as useful as Axel," Larxene complained.

"I do not find an issue with any part of our plan," Marluxia said. He was blocking Jexa's view of someone sitting in the room. As hard as she strained she couldn't see it, although she could feel it. She couldn't tell if it was a Nobody or a person who was very upset. "And Zexion will not present much of a problem. Send him to interfere with Sora or play with the Replica a bit and he will see nothing."

"If you say so," Larxene sighed. She moved over to a chair and sat down. The person behind Marluxia shifted over to the side a bit, allowing Jexa to get a glimpse. The build of the person showed it to be female. She had on a white dress and had very blonde hair, just like the girl in Jexa's dream.

"Marluxia please, I-"

"Be quiet Namine. This is not your conversation."

The girl cringed and said no more, drawing instead. Larxene and Marluxia left the room chatting amiably, leaving Namine all alone. "What does it matter?" Jexa her Namine whisper as she set her pencil down and traced the outline of her picture. Jexa wondered what could be so dismal as to bring that comment up, but her mission including nothing about tagging that girl.

She let the portal slide close and opened one to the castle. Saix was talking with Marluxia and Larxene so she sat down in a chair to wait for them to leave. The effects of the darkness were gone now, and she felt exhausted. She might have fallen asleep then and there if Roxas hadn't come through a portal. He looked miserable, and not like a Nobody miserable, actual misery. She shook her head and the expression was gone from his face. "Now I'm seeing things," she muttered.

Roxas sat down in the chair opposite to her and sighed.

"What's the matter Roxas?" she asked, wanting to make sure she stayed sane more than for his wellbeing.

"…Nothing," he said somberly, and then went over to Saix to tell him that he had finished his mission. He didn't know what to think about the day's events. Where was Axel? Was he really his friend? How should he know anyways? He had said that he was going to Castle Oblivion, but that was tomorrow. It was so confusing.

Jexa watched him leave, eyes narrowed. That kid had issues. Still, no one else remained in the Grey Area, so she needed to stop worrying and go to Saix. Before she could get up, he came to her.

"How did your mission go?"

"Pretty well. You didn't tell me that it wasn't magic but control of my element."

"I assumed that you would figure everything out in the end," he said with double meaning.

"I did. I can control the darkness inside people to an extent, but it wears me out once I'm done."

"And?"

She turned around to look at him. "He has nothing to do with what Marluxia and Larxene are doing. Vexen was bribed and Lexaeus couldn't see what they were doing, at least that's what they said. Lexaeus or Vexen might have an idea of what they're doing, maybe even both of them. I'm not sure."

"Do you have any idea of what they're doing?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him off.

"Stop touching me, okay? I'm getting sick of it."

"You're off topic. How did the whole mission go?"

"I-" Jexa stopped abruptly, tasting something that was familiar yet not. It was a sweet taste with a little bit of sourness to it, but not much. She looked around to see Zexion standing in the doorway, watching them. When he realized she knew that he was standing there he left. _So Zexion can smell the darkness in others and I can 'taste' nearby people who's darkness I've touched_, she thought. _But if I let go of the darkness-_ When she did, her exhaustion increased and the taste vanished

"I don't know what they're doing, but that's why you're sending Axel and I to C.O," she stated.

"That's right." He took his hand off her shoulder and left the Grey Area, most likely going to tell Xemnas what Jexa had said. It unnerved her to know that everything she told Saix the Superior heard. Something about the leader of the Organization was just, _off_, but she knew she couldn't say anything about it. Doing so would mean being turned into a Dusk immediately.

When she reached the door of her room, she hesitated, trying to decide whether to go to sleep or tell Axel that she would be going with him. The day had been tiring, but he should know what to expect on the mission. Eventually she gave in and went over to Axel's door.

"Axel," she said softly with a small rap on the wood, trying not to disturb him in case he was doing another fire trick. Still, another explosion erupted inside the room, much louder than the one Demyx had caused. Angry footsteps started up, becoming louder every second. Jexa took a few steps back so there would be some distance between her and the flames Axel could unleash.

"Larxene, I told you, I'm good and ready for this. I-" He opened the door to find Jexa against the other wall. His face relaxed and he sighed with relief. "Newbie, don't talk like that. You sound exactly like Larxene when you do," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"O-kay," she said slowly, not sure if it was an insult or not. "Um, can I come in?"

"Er, sure,' he said, opening the door wide enough for her to walk through. Jexa moved over to the far wall and leaned against it. There was another burn mark on the opposite wall just above his desk and next to his window. Some of the papers and books on it had been singed. A few of the books belonged to Zexion or Vexen. Even with so little time in the Organization, she knew that those scorch marks would land Axel in major trouble.

"How do I say this?" she said, crossing her arms. "Uh, I guess that I've been assigned to spy with you tomorrow."

Axel froze. Luckily the door was closed so Larxene couldn't hear them, but it must have been a shock to him.

Jexa looked away from the redhead. "Xemnas' idea." She laughed. "Oh man, won't Marluxia be ticked that I'm coming with you guys. I turned down his offer the other day."

Axel eased up enough to face her, but it was clear that he was still cautious. "He'll probably keep his cool, but Larxene won't." He brought out the can of paint from his closet and started painting over the black spot. "You're really coming with me on the icky job? Good, there's always a need for a distraction."

"I'm tired Axel. See you in the morning," she sighed as she turned to leave.

"Hold on," he said when she was halfway across the room. "Why send a newbie on this mission? That isn't like Xemnas at all."

She chuckled as she was heading out the door. "Let's say that he likes what I can know." Despite what she thought would happen, Axel dropped the subject and went to bed. Jexa closed the door behind her and went into her room. _I get to go on a real mission tomorrow. How fun_, she thought, half-delirious with exhaustion. _I wonder what will happen._

That night she dreamed again. In the dream she saw the same boy from the other dream walking down a path in the middle of grassland underneath a starless sky. Then, someone from the Organization appeared in front of him and led him further down the path. The boy, curious about the stranger, followed him, but as he turned a corner the Organization member couldn't be found. He looked around confused, then spotted a castle in the distance. It was obvious that he really wanted to go explore it, but he went back in the direction he came. At one point he strayed from the path and went through the grass back to his friends who were sleeping in the tall grass. Their appearances didn't fit in with the norm. One was a duck and the other was a dog. The boy didn't seem to think that this was weird at all and laid down in the grass beside them, falling asleep shortly.

In the morning Jexa had another headache, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the first one. She was able to get out of her room no problem, but walking with the fresh pounding only made things worse. Halfway to the Grey Area she was forced to sit down and take a shaky breath. _I'm not doing this again,_ she thought, waiting for it to subside. _Next time I don't leave until it's gone_. A few minutes later, Jexa continued on even though it had not gone away fully. When she reached the Grey Area Saix was waiting for her.

"You're late. All of the others have gone on ahead," he said, opening a portal for her.

"I had another dream with a headache to go with it," she stated.

Saix closed his eyes in exasperation. The Superior might like her, but he saw nothing extraordinary about her. First off, no one cared about her pain. Secondly, if she wanted to prove herself, she would be better off doing actual work than dreaming the day away. "What was it this time?"

"The boy again. It was nothing special, him walking down some path, one of us guiding him down it, then he went back to his friends. I think that he would have gone back though." She thought it over for a minute. "Why do you want to know?"

Saix opened a portal for her, his eyes shining. _What's with that?_ Jexa thought. He rarely showed any form of emotion. "The Superior thinks that what you dream is true, so every one that you have has to be reported. Tell either of us if you have any more."

Jexa opened her mouth to ask him a question, but he shoved her through the portal before she could get it out of her mouth. When she came out she was pretty sure that she was in the basement of C.O because of how dim the lighting was. On a long table standing along one wall there was all sorts of test tubes and other scientific equipment with some scattered papers and open books as well. As she reached for one of the vials filled with something unnatural, Vexen slapped her hand away.

"Hey, what was that for?" she asked, insulted.

Vexen's face returned to its normal somber, creepy expression from the annoyed one it had been moments before. "I do not need children disrupting my experiments."

"I'm not a child," she muttered. "I'm sixteen." Vexen took no notice of her and went back to working with the all of the strange things. "Freak," she added when she was far enough away that he wouldn't hear her.

"What he does benefits us greatly," a voice said from the darkness.

"Hi Zexion. Still, you have to admit that he's-" Jexa gave a little shudder, failing to find the proper word to describe the way Vexen seemed to her, something between creepy, obsessive, and vain.

"Yes. I can agree with you there," he said as moved out of the shadows, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Why are you here Jexa?"

"Same as you, my mission for the day."

"You don't think that this is a one-day mission, do you? No, this will stretch on for several days. That's why we're placing it here, so we have somewhere we can monitor Sora and somewhere we can sleep."

"Obviously," she said, not knowing who Sora was but not really caring. "Do you know where I can find Axel?"

Zexion pointed up. "Top floor with Larxene. You might want to-"

"Thanks."

"Why do you-?" He stopped, seeing that she was already gone. That was a quick Corridor for a new Nobody. He hoped that it would be the last time she came down to visit them. Something wasn't right. Then again, he had been having that feeling for days. Zexion allowed himself a small chuckled at the joke and exited the room. "Lexaeus," he called. "You will not believe who else was allowed to come."

Jexa came out in the shadows of a pillar in a large hallway. Not very far ahead she could hear voices, so she moved forward, being careful to stay in the gloom.

"-But we can't do it that way," Larxene said. Jexa assumed that she was arguing with Axel. "It'll take too long. We should cut things off here and now. Get the little memory witch to steal all the memories and let's be done with it."

"Larxene, it doesn't work like that," said a soft, careful voice. Since it was the same room she had seen them talking to Zexion in the other day, she thought that it might be Namine. "I have to do this slowly or else his heart will block me. You know how strong it is."

"See? We can't go fast," Axel said, sounding triumphant.

Larxene grumbled and started walking towards the place where Jexa was standing. The sound of her footsteps kept getting louder and louder. Having no other choice, Jexa tapped into her darkness and tried to change Larxene's mind. _Portal out_, she urged. Fortunately it worked, and it gave her a taste of Larxene's darkness. It was sweet like Zexion's, but it was a bit salty rather than sour. Jexa sighed with relief and went into the room. She could feel Namine's sadness before she released her own darkness.

"Jexa, nice to see you awake," Axel said, still in a good mood from defeating Larxene in their argument. "You missed the meeting."

"Why didn't anyone get me up?" she asked, taking a seat across from Namine.

Axel shrugged. "Xemnas said to leave you alone. You should have seen Demyx complain when he said that, and his face when Saix looked at him, priceless!" He glanced at the place where Larxene had ported out and then at Jexa's tired face, switching between the two. "Did you have anything to do with that?"

She nodded. "Darkness."

"So long as you leave me out of that stuff I don't care."

"'Kay. What do we have to do here?" She leaned back in her chair and played with a strand of her hair, trying very hard to ignore Namine. The pale girl's eyes were boring into her.

"Watch Sora, steal his memories, make sure that the other five don't get into any more trouble than they have to or should be getting into."

"Who's Sora?"

"Little spiky-hair kid, walks around with a dog and a duck, has an overgrown key as a weapon, our _target_."

Jexa nodded. "Him." Namine started up on another drawing at her recognition of Sora. Curious, Jexa got up and looked at the picture. She was in it, along with Sora and his friends. It couldn't be anyone but her. Who else had a sword that dark?

Axel snatched it up from under their noses, shaking his head. "Marluxia won't approve of pleasure drawing, you know that."

Namine hung her head. "Yes, I know, but Axel-"

"What was the meeting about today?" Jexa asked, trying to get the subject off of Sora or whatever was going on at the moment.

Axel remembered the meeting and all its oddities. Unlike any other introduction, the member was allowed to keep its hood up without any objections from the higher-ups. "Another new member," he said finally, boiling it down and keeping out Xemnas' speech. "That's three in two weeks." He gave Namine her picture back and started towards the hallway.

"Where're you going?"

"I'm going to play with Sora a bit, if Marluxia will let me."

"Can I come?"

"If you want. Second floor."

Jexa began to follow him, but Namine pulled her back and shoved the picture into her hand. "Take this," she whispered.

She pulled back but didn't reject the offer. Axel had already gone out of sight so she had to find her own way down. After a while she gave up trying to navigate the endless hallways and sent herself down to the second floor.

"Quit hogging the hero," she heard Axel say. Happy that she had found them, she tried to move around the corner.

_No_, a raspy voice objected. Who or whatever said it gave her a headache that was worse than first one, sending her to the floor with a small cry. When she opened her eyes she was inside her own head again. Her darkness was tugging on her hood, trying to put it on her head.

_Hey_, she scolded, making it back up.

_On_, it ordered. Jexa did ask she was told and waited to see if it was going to say anything else.

_I'm, just, going to be leaving_, she said after an uncomfortable silence.

_No_, it hissed. _Mine._

_ Your what?_

_ My talk, your talk._

_ Look, thanks for all you've done, but I'm not going to give you my voice,_ she said, trying to escape.

_You, borrow, mine_. It struggled to form the broken sentence.

_Fine_, she sighed, seeing no way out. In an instant the world came back. Her hood was on and her throat felt funny, but other than that things were just as they had been before. There was no headache and Marluxia had left, so that was good. Jexa walked into the room that Axel and Sora were in. The kid looked exactly like the boy in her dreams.

"So you're Sora," she said with the darkness' voice. _I can't let Riku hear that,_ she thought, not knowing who Riku even was.

Sora pulled his Keyblade out and turned around to face her, making Axel laugh. "What's with the hood and stuff, kid?"

"Shut. Up," she hissed. "Later." She glanced at the Keyblade wielder. "So Sora, how is Castle Oblivion treating you?"

He slung his Keyblade onto his shoulder. That weapon made her uneasy, even if it was only a giant key. "I think I can handle it," he said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"All right kid, just remember what's in your heart," she advised as she tapped into her darkness. Sora seemed really cocky and people usually weren't cocky without a reason. Normally it meant that they had been very successful, especially if it came easy to them. As she touched the darkness inside of him, something burned her, like she had grabbed hold of red-hot metal. The darkness inside her let out a scream that made her head ring and retreated into a corner. Jexa took a step back, alarmed by what had happened. Whatever it was had disabled her ability to control the darkness inside of people for a few days. Still, she would know if Sora ever came close when her darkness was in play. That was the point of the exercise, but even that small victory was unpleasant. The taste he put in her mouth was very, very bitter with nothing to dilute it, although she thought she might have tasted something else with a tang along with it.

"Hey Jexa, let's go. If Sora doesn't want our help, then why should we stay?" Axel had been talking, but she hadn't heard what he had said.

"I'm not a kid!" Sora yelled.

"Yeah right. You look about ten," Jexa laughed. He and his friends twisted around to fight her, giving Axel a chance to escape. He appeared next to her when Sora turned back around to find him gone.

"You only have to think hard about using a Corridor to leave," he whispered to her. She nodded and left.

"How did you-? No, wait!" she heard Sora yell before she was gone. Where she ended up was the bedrooms. She slipped into one of the beds and fell asleep, tired from the strain her darkness had gone through.

Jexa woke up an hour later feeling a bit groggy. Her little nap had done nothing to change the fact she had been hurt. In the room behind her she could hear muted voices. They probably belonged to Marluxia and Larxene, and she knew that she should figure out what they were talking about, but she didn't want to. That seemed like just another nuisance at the time rather than the mission. Exactly what she had to do she was clueless about. She already rejected Marluxia and Larxene didn't like her, so how was so to get close? Jexa went down into the basement instead to see what the others were doing. The scene was not exactly what she expected. Zexion was reading a book and Vexen was doing more experiments.

"What are you doing?" she asked, suspicious.

Zexion set his book aside and dug around in his pocket. "Waiting our turn. There are only so many things to do here. This is from Saix." He pulled out a note and flicked it at Jexa. She caught it and opened the envelope.

_Jexa_

_I did not want to waste any more of your time here at the castle. Here is the list of things you must do:_

_-Watch Marluxia and Larxene when Axel is not_

_-Find out more things about Sora_

_-Benefit the Organization_

_Saix_

Crumpling up the piece of paper, she went over to Vexen. "I hate being told what to do." The two of them stared at her, uncertain why the remark had popped up. "Is it always like this in the Organization? Always 'do this' or 'do that'?" It was a bluff. If the two of them were connected to Marluxia and Larxene, or even one of them, then it would be good to befriend them. The darkness told her that she was going in the right direction, but she needed to keep talking.

"Yes. At least that's why I'm here; to do experiments that Marluxia permitted me to do under certain restrictions that the Organization would not. He said that I would have to do him a small favor later and I have no objections to that," Vexen said.

Jexa and Zexion exchanged a wary glance. "And you don't know what the favor is or even what it's based on?" Jexa said.

"He said that it would only play a minor role in the whole of his project," he said hurriedly. "Besides, what harm could it cause? Anyway, I am a scientist. I will not concern myself with affairs that do not contribute to my research, and I will delve in those that do."

"Oh please," Zexion grumbled, his nose buried in a book. Vexen had been like that since they were Somebodies.

"No, 'how much harm could it cause' is what you should have thought about, and obviously you've involved yourself in whatever Marluxia is doing. And how do you know if it will help or not?" she said, ignoring Zexion.

"I have not. Whatever it is he wants me to do would be a substantial test for my greatest experiment, that is all." He turned around to work on one of his projects and ignored the rest of her comments.

Zexion pretended to read while the other two Nobodies carried on. He was stuck on the fact that Xemnas sent an inexperienced Nobody into Castle Oblivion to do highly specialized work. Even with all the damage it would have caused, it would have been smarter to send Roxas with them than her. True, she had proven herself to be up to the task of fighting the other day, yet such skills took time to perfect. No doubt she didn't even know the basics of summoning a lesser Nobody, one of the more useful skills when trying to escape or to gain aid in battle. None of it made sense. She wouldn't do anything but slow them down, though she might be a spy or something of the like. Sure, maybe his ways of helping the Organization were a little unorthodox and might seem traitorous, but it was the fast lane. Not one bit of what he was doing would harm the Organization. Xemnas could see that, couldn't he?

"I can see that some of my teachings have not gone wasted on you," Vexen said, snapping him back to the present. That was a big compliment from him. Zexion looked up to see Jexa playing with some of Vexen's materials, making some kind of toxic liquid.

"Are you okay Vexen?" he asked. They had been arguing a minute ago, and she had that weird ability to control people.

The Chilly Academic nodded and held up what Jexa had made. "This is a potion, one of the things that take great timing and luck to make. I believe that it was a minute bit of skill combined with my instruction that allowed her to make it."

"Why don't you ask Luxord to help you with it if you need timing and luck?" Zexion joked, knowing exactly what he would say to his suggestion.

Vexen's face darkened with anger. "The last time that gambler was in my laboratory he destroyed half of my experiments with his guessing!" He struggled to regain his composure. Zexion held back a grin, knowing how Vexen would react if he knew that he found any humor in this. The last time he had laughed at him, his feet had been encased in ice for several hours. He had to get Axel to thaw them out in the end. That had been the scariest part. At least the pyro had been there and he didn't need Demyx to change the ice into water instead, which would have been much worse.

Jexa gently took the vile back and stuck a cork in the top. "Would you mind if I kept this?" Zexion didn't understand that at all, even if it was a potion. What could she do with it?

"If you must," he sighed. Jexa beamed and left.

"You shouldn't have given her that," Zexion muttered, actually reading now, or attempting to.

"True. I should have kept it for myself." He was trying to recreate the concoction but failing miserably. "Though you have more of a problem that I do with it or you wouldn't have brought it up. I know you too well for you to be able to hide that, Ienzo."

"To tell you honestly Even, I don't know why she's here. Xemnas isn't an idiot, we both know that. The strategic thing to do would have been to send only the six of us who have enough experience to go on this mission, yet he sends her. What is he thinking?"

"Perhaps that is what earns him the title 'The Superior', the fact that he can create plans that none of us see logical but he can make them work flawlessly."

Zexion sighed. "I'm not sure at the moment. Sometimes I think that it doesn't matter that we were friends once."

Vexen stopped working and stared at the Cloaked Schemer. "Do you think that he would hide important things from us, things that held great significance? He has nothing to loose and everything to gain."

Zexion closed his book and crossed his arms. "I don't know Vexen. I don't know anymore."


	5. Change of Plans

Jexa backed into the shadows and traveled up to the top floor. Why did Zexion doubt Xemnas, especially if they had been friends like he had said? Maybe Saix or Axel could help her sort it out. For now, she had to follow the instructions Saix gave her. Finding the truth about Zexion would fall into the range of her instructions and she could simply ask the darkness if she didn't want to raise any suspicion. However, she felt as if she was missing some key component that would shed a very different light on things. Zexion didn't seem like the type to change loyalties often. As her vision began to focus she cast her doubts out of her mind and set her sights on the mission. Axel and Larxene were standing in the center of the room across from each other, staring into a swirling globe. Namine was nowhere to be seen and the table she sat at was gone too.

"For a Keyblade wielder he isn't very smart," Larxene scoffed. She hadn't seen Jexa since the girl was behind her, but Axel noticed her.

"At least there's no one in the Organization who is that stupid," he said, shooting Jexa a glance before going back to the crystal ball.

"Hah. What about Xemnas?" Larxene laughed as Jexa molded into the shadows. She nearly blurted out at the careless statement. Larxene was a traitor.

"Ouch. Don't let anyone else hear that, especially not him." Axel had a slight smirk on his face that Jexa could see through the film of darkness. So details were clearer in the dark, good to know.

The two Nobodies watched the ball for a few more minutes before it quit glowing. "I'm going to go see the little master again," Axel said nonchalantly.

"Wait, you got to play with the toy last time. It's my turn."

He threw her a blue card and she grinned wildly. "Don't break him," he warned.

Larxene touched his face and opened a portal. "I'm not an moron. I'm just going to have a little fun with him." She gave Axel one last glance. "Remember to keep the secret under your hood until the time is right." She left and Jexa let out the breath she had been holding. If Larxene had seen her there was no telling what she would have done to her.

"You would have done well to do the same Larxene," he mumbled as Jexa wrenched herself out of the shadows.

"So you moved Namine?" Jexa said once she was free of the darkness.

"Marluxia felt that it would be better if we had her in a separate room in case Sora reached here."

Jexa nodded and moved toward the place where Larxene had left. "That was as good as a confession."

"Right, but Larxene couldn't have made a plan alone. She would have blown her cover by now. Someone here must have helped her, maybe more than one person."

"Sure." She looked around the room. They were the only things that had any color. It was blander than The Castle That Never Was. "Why is everything white?"

"How should I know? I didn't design the place," he chuckled. "What are you trying to hide?"

"Is it that obvious or are you and Saix just really good at catching liars?"

At the mention of Saix, Axel walked out of the room. "What was that about?" Jexa muttered. She pulled out the note that Saix had given her earlier and smoothed it out. As she was playing with it, she noticed that there was something on the bottom in fine print.

_Report back when the day is half over._

Jexa groaned and opened a portal back to the castle to find Saix waiting for her.

"What is it Saix?" she sighed. "Larxene was just about to get pounded by Sora."

Saix walked over to the far side of the room and touched the glass, the empty city stretching far beyond. "Did you learn anything about Sora?"

"Other than who he was and that his light burns oh so bright? No."

Saix took up his regular place where he stood every day to give members their missions. "How did you know about the light within him? How bright is it?"

"Do your questions ever end?" she said, rolling her eyes. "The light burned me when I got a taste of his darkness. That's how strong it is."

Saix took a deep breath. There was nothing new about that, as they had already known that his light drove out all darkness. They had figured that out when he changed back from a Heartless. Nothing remarkable about that piece of information. How much longer? How much longer until he knew how to be happy? This wasn't helping any.

"You should be training instead of going on this mission," Saix said, half to her and half to himself. "There is still much you don't know."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Her ferocity startled him. Saix looked at her eyes, blue eyes lighter than Sora's, and saw a firm determination. He allowed himself a small smile, amused at her expression. However, it didn't last. Emotions for any Nobody were despicable to him. Why did Axel put on such a charade?

"Saix, I'm going back," Jexa said, interrupting his train of thought. She already had a portal open and was halfway through it.

"I was serious when I said that I shouldn't allow you to go back," he said as he dragged her out of it. She tried to grasp the edges of the portal to stay in, but it didn't work. The darkness wasn't very material.

"Come on. Just because I don't get some random piece of info like 'Vexen's gonna die because of Axel instead of by Sora's Keyblade,' you're going to make me quit?" she complained as he threw her into one of the chairs.

Saix stopped moving and turned around, eyes narrowed. "What?"

"What 'what'?"

"Your 'random piece of info'. What was it truly?"

Jexa thought about it for a moment. "Uh, I think that it was that Vexen was going to die because of Axel. Yeah, that's right, and it came from the darkness like everything else. He has to do it to find the traitors." She wasn't going to point out the Zexion fact just yet. She was hoping that she could figure it out on her own without help from either of them.

"How did you-?"

"I never know how I know exactly," she snapped. "Back off and let me go back."

Saix nodded reluctantly and watched the girl leave. She was hiding something, he could tell. It wasn't something that she had 'known' but something she had found out. There was no rush. He would find out sooner or later.

Jexa stomped out of the portal, frustrated with Saix. If he wanted information, fine, she would get him some. _Give me everything you've got on Sora,_ she ordered the darkness. It growled, then stopped abruptly and released a hoarse laughter along with what Jexa had requested.

Suddenly the room she had been disappeared to be replaced by the white beaches of Destiny Islands. Jexa furrowed her brow, confused. Why was she there, and how did she get there in the first place?

"I knew that I would find you here, you lazy bum," chided a voice that sounded a bit like Namine. She spun around to see a girl with short, reddish hair standing over Sora.

"Whoa!" he said, quickly sitting up.

The girl laughed at his startled expression. "Are you going to sleep the day away? Come on, we have to finish the raft."

Sora jumped up out of the way of a wave. "No, there were these dreams, and they seemed so real, were they real…? Huh? Kairi?" The girl, Kairi, had run ahead and was urging Sora to follow her. A boy with green-blue eyes and silver hair came up behind him and slapped him on the back.

"C'mon Sora. You don't want to keep Kairi waiting, do you?" That boy, there was something about him. Confident might be one word to describe him, but the darkness thought about something else. Potential.

"Yeah yeah Riku, I- Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" They ran past her, Riku laughing and Sora trying to make him explain.

_So that's Riku_, she thought as the scenery blurred. Now it was dark and the trees that once stood in the back were gone. All that was left was a little bit of the beach that Jexa stood on and a little place where Riku and Sora stood. The bridge that Sora had come across on was quickly being consumed by darkness, so Jexa had it transfer her over to where they were standing instead of trying to beat it.

"Sora, let's go. This is our chance to get off these islands and go to other worlds!" Riku said as he was being consumed by the darkness. Sora hesitated and Riku was lost to him.

"Riku!" he cried as the darkness swallowed him as well.

"I'm going to have to meet you one day," Jexa said, impressed with Riku's bravery. Again, the world around her left to be replaced with something different. This time it was Traverse Town and Sora was with the weird animal-people she had seen in her dreams.

"A-hyuk, then all for one," the dog said, sticking his hand out.

"And one for all!" the duck finished, placing his own on top.

Sora added his hand to the pile. "I'll find you guys," he whispered. "I promise."

The world came back after his resolution. As was normal after the dreams, her head hurt. She looked around to find that she was in the basement again. In a corner, Zexion sat with his face in his hands. The emotion took a moment to register, but it did click. Despair, that's what it was.

"Zexion?" she said warily. He did nothing. "Zexion, what's wrong?"

He moved his hands up so the heels of his palms were resting on his eyes. "The Replica, it's too strong," he said hoarsely. "It fought Sora and rebounded, then fought him again and walked away."

Jexa sat down beside him. "The Replica might be weak and Sora might be holding back because he thinks it's Riku." The Riku Replica, the darkness told her, was an invention of Vexen's that looked like Riku, fought like Riku, but was a very different Riku than the one Sora knew. One thing the real Riku and the Replica had in common was that they were not weak. In the end, Zexion would fall to him.

"-And Vexen is smart enough to incorporate all of Riku's abilities into the Replica, and- What is it?" He stopped abruptly when he heard her take in a sharp breath.

She shook her head and stood up. "I need to go." With that she left, leaving Zexion alone in the shadows.

She had no specific place in mind to go, so she landed in the In Between. All that she felt that she could do was pace. It wasn't fair that Zexion had to die. He had no part in the treachery. In her fury she also learned that it was Axel who set the fight up, fully knowing that Zexion wouldn't make it in order for Saix to rise higher. Saix, everything seemed to be his fault, he never seemed to be able to do anything right. Jexa cast the thought from her mind and concentrated on finding a way to protect Zexion. No way would she be able to defeat the Replica for him in her current condition, but what else could she do but try? Inside and out, the darkness panicked, swaying and twisting. Her confusion gave the darkness enough time to penetrate her anger and give her a plan.

_An amulet created from a captured heart strung on a cord made of darkness was given to the person one wanted to protect. When the person was an inch from death the necklace would shatter and a sphere of darkness enveloped the wearer, protecting them from any other attacks and death. To enhance its properties, a drop of a potion placed on the amulet would make sure that the fail rate was reduced to zero. Now, if it was to be used to kill someone instead, then the amulet would a circle and the cord would be made of light covered by darkness. Then-_

"That's enough, thanks," Jexa said to the darkness. What she had needed to know was how to save someone, not kill them, and now she had that information.

_By creating a darkness base and putting up a pattern of light on the top, one could record memories. A touch from the creator would turn it off and preserve the memories, and-_

Jexa left before the darkness could finish. What it was saying now was unimportant to her. When she reached the bedrooms the first thing that she did was call up a Soldier. It had the heart that she needed as well as the darkness. Now, how to get the heart. Since the heart was inside the Heartless, maybe she had to go inside it, but the idea wasn't too appealing. A Heartless' darkness was more unpredictable than what she dealt with on a daily basis.

"Why don't you just give me your heart?" she sighed. In response to her request, the Heartless held out its hands and cupped them. A shimmer appeared and then a heart was floating just above its hands. Jexa grinned and picked it up. _I wonder why the others don't just ask. It's much easier than releasing them with a Keyblade,_ she thought while she was crushing it to the right size with darkness. Once it was, she pulled a bit of darkness out of the Heartless, now a Shadow, to make the string. She dismissed the Heartless as soon as she was done to admire her work.

The necklace was beautiful. It had a faint glow, something someone couldn't see in the dark, only in the light. The amulet had a reddish tint to its black coloring, along with a few white lines here and there. Even the cord was nice. It was soft as silk but as strong as steel. The piece begged to be worn, so much so Jexa almost tied it around her own neck. She shoved it in her pocket before it could persuade her to put it on.

Satisfied with her work, she went back down to the basement to see Zexion. He was working with some of Vexen's supplies, jotting notes down now and again.

"What are you doing?" she asked, curious.

"I have been wanting to perform a few minor experiments of my own for quite a while, but Vexen would not agree. He's out fighting Sora at the moment, so I don't believe that he will be back any time soon," he said, still absorbed in his work. "In addition to that, he never knows when to stop talking. Marluxia will see him as a traitor by the time he has finished 'experimenting' with Sora. Axel will probably be sent to deal with him, gag him or wound him badly enough so that he is unable to talk to the boy."

"What could Vexen say that would make him a traitor, and how do you know?" She pulled the necklace out of her pocket, being careful not to look at it, and moved to Zexion's side.

"Something about Sora's memories or trying to figure out which ones are true. Either would make Marluxia very, upset." He took a canister off of a flame and set it in ice. "To your second question, I am a strategist. I take the logical course and follow it to the end. Anything that is not along that path I examine to see if it has any worth. If not, I find the reasoning behind using such a method. That is the simplest way to be."

Jexa nodded. "I see. I think the glass is cracking, the one in the ice." Zexion turned his head to check the container. In that fraction of a second Jexa tied the necklace around his neck.

"What? Get this off!" He tugged at the cord, but the ends had molded together and would not release their grip on each other.

"Amazing," she mumbled, watching the darkness strengthen itself to the point where a diamond could not cut through it.

Zexion struggled to find the knot, but it had disappeared when the cord molded onto itself. "I think not! You can control the darkness better than anyone else. Tell it to release!" He tried to pull it off, resulting in a sore neck, and the circumference was not great enough to let it be pulled over his head.

Jexa opened a portal and ordered the darkness to take her to the nearest shadow near Vexen. Axel would be with Marluxia and Larxene watching him fight. He wouldn't miss Vexen being beaten by a kid for the world. "You said yourself that the Riku Replica is too strong," she said to Zexion, noticing that he had given up attempting to rip the necklace off and was glaring at her instead. "Don't worry, you'll thank me later." She left through the portal to go see how Vexen was fairing in his battle. When she was in the In Between, she decided to go to the room where Axel, Marluxia, and Larxene were instead. She could see it through the crystal ball and keep an eye on the two Nobodies.

Zexion ran towards the closing portal but was too late. For once it would be nice to know where she went. Sora wasn't an option since Vexen was with him and it was doubtful that she ever went to check in with Marluxia. Perhaps Lexaeus? No, he would have said something if she ever came to him even if he didn't talk much. He played with the amulet on the necklace she had tied around his neck. He would never admit it but the trinket was kind of beautiful. "That was ridiculous. I cannot believe that I fell for such a trick, or that she would try it," he said sourly as he went back to his work. Too late, the mixture had spoiled while he had been distracted. That was it then. He had no more of the needed elements to create a new batch. He would have to fight the Replica without its help. Help, was that what Jexa had been talking about when she said that he would thank her later? Zexion shook his head slightly to rid the thoughts from his mind. There was no point in speculating when a little digging would provide the answers he wanted. For now, he had to get the mess he created out of the lab before it exploded.

Jexa ended up in the second nearest shadow to the Nobodies. This time she had concealed herself well enough so no one noticed her. In the crystal ball she saw Sora dodging Vexen's attacks while landing his own. A few of the Keyblade's hits landed on Vexen's shield, but not many. After sometime close to ten minutes the battle had been won with Sora as the victor.

"Just as I thought," came Vexen's muted voice from the shimmering ball. "You are not one to die easily."

"Like I would ever lose to you!" Sora said, enraged.

Vexen laughed. "Didn't you notice? Through the battle I was sampling your memories, and from them I made this." A blue card flew from his fingers towards Sora. The boy caught it without looking. "It is from the other side of your heart."

"Other, side?" Sora studied the card, trying to figure out what Vexen had meant. The Nobody took the opportunity and ran away. The Keyblade wielder looked up in time to see him enveloped in darkness. "No! Come back here!" He slashed at the spot where Vexen had been standing moments before. Again he looked at the card. "I know that I've never been there before."

"Maybe you don't remember, like you didn't remember Namine," the dog said. The darkness inside of her kept saying that he was goofy, but that was obvious. What was his name?

"No, I'm pretty sure that this is different," Sora said uncertainly.

"Come on," the duck quacked. "We need to get to the top!" _Does he ever have a voice issue_, Jexa thought. _It's like he has a bad cold or something._

The globe went blank and the Nobodies exchanged knowing glances.

"Axel, I trust that you know what you must do," Marluxia said.

"No, I don't. Perhaps you could spell it out for me?" He sounded very different from his normal self, more guarded and eloquent. Couldn't they see that?

"Vexen has endangered the mission. You must eliminate the traitor," he said wearily.

"No taking that order back later," Axel said as he disappeared. Larxene watched him leave as Marluxia went over to Namine, who had been moved back into the room.

"That was off," Larxene said casually.

"Which would mean?" Marluxia said, still not facing her.

"What did he mean by, 'no taking back that order'? I've already said it and you've already ignored me, but I don't like having Axel in our plan."

Jexa strained her ears to pick up anything about this plan of theirs. The darkness wouldn't provide her with anything on the matter; it wanted her to figure it out for herself.

"And again I'll say that I do not believe him to be a threat. If he is, then there are ways of disposing him."

She crossed her arms. "True, but he already knows that we plan on taking over the Organization."

_We_, Jexa noted.

"Yes, that was a fault on your part. Now please avoid that subject."

"Why Marly?"

"I have the oddest sense of being watched."

Alarm bells went off in her head. She molded farther into the shadows, so much so that the Nobodies were only faint outlines.

"What? Where?" Larxene drew her knifes and her eyes darted around the room.

Marluxia shook his head and turned around. "Never mind. I think that this castle and our other agenda might be interfering with my reason."

"Mar-mar, this is the second time you've been like this. What's going on?" Just as she sent her knifes away a blast shook the castle. It was minute, but all three Nobodies felt it.

"Go see what that was," Marluxia ordered. Larxene tossed her hair insubordinately but did as she was told. Once she was gone he pinched the bridge of his nose as he attempted to contain his growing suspicion.

"There is nothing wrong," he told himself. "Everything is going according to plan. Nothing is wrong." Even so, he was compelled to glance at Jexa's hiding spot. The young Nobody held her breath and waited for him to look away. He couldn't possibly notice her presence. Eventually he leaned over Namine's shoulder to tell her what she should do to Sora's memories. With his attention diverted, Jexa melted completely into the darkness and away from him.

_I'm very glad that flower boy is going to die soon, _she thought, still unaware of the meaning of her words. When she came out of the darkness she found herself in a courtyard in front of a huge mansion. From the general direction of the forest came the sound of people running, so she hid in one of the bushes on the side. The bitter taste in her mouth told her that Sora and his gang would be coming out from the foliage any second. Sure enough, the trio stepped out from the bushes.

"I know that I've never been here before," Sora said quietly.

"Are you sure that you just don't remember?" the duck asked, actually concerned, a surprise to Jexa.

"Yeah, I'm sure. With Namine it came back in pieces, but this is more like an idea that I've been here before." The three looked up at the huge mansion, Sora staring at the top left hand window. Something was familiar, but not, not his. Not this place though, something else. The impression of whatever it was began to become a daydream. Other memories. A clock tower. Two people sitting on a ledge with ice cream in their hands. Axel's there and someone else. A blonde boy with blue eyes like his. Someone different. With the cloaked people, but not like them exactly. Like him, but not. There's a difference. One little piece, but not so little. He's another. An Other… His name, was, is… Starts with an 'R'… Sorta like his name, kinda. All the letters are messed up. His name, his name is Rox- Wait, is that right? Yeah, that's it, it was right, the Nobody, Number 13, the Key of Destiny, Rox-

"Are you truly sure that you've never been here before?" Vexen's voice inquired as he materialized from the darkness. Jexa and Sora snapped out of their shared reverie. Sora remembered nothing of it, but it was fresh in Jexa's mind. It had been Roxas that he had been thinking about, and from what she had experienced while she had accidently slipped into the darkness that was messing with his mind she knew that things had gone much smoother than usual. That was most likely because she had been there with, with whom? Namine probably. After that episode, Axel would have orders to come quicker and would be allowed to perform more extreme measures. However, that was not the main thing. Who had wanted to tell Sora about Roxas and why? Not Vexen; he just screwed it up. Unfortunately, she had fallen into the darkness that was interfering with him by accident and couldn't do it again, no matter how hard she tried. The question would remain unanswered for the moment.

"Sora, this memory is from the other side of your heart. If you choose to be bound by the chain of memories, then you are not a Keyblade wielder, only a slave to the memories. You are worthless, pitiful, just like my Riku," Vexen said, following through with a conversation that she had missed out on. He summoned his shield with a flurry of ice.

"Your-? That's enough!" Sora said, drawing his Keyblade. Vexen gave Sora one of his creepy smiles and charged him. Jexa sat back in the bushes to watch the show.

Vexen floated above the ground to have a greater range of motion, a technique that consumed more energy but allowed him to block more of Sora's attacks. The boy tried going in from the side, the back, and even head on a few times, yet for all his effort he only landed a few hits. After a few more minutes of his pitiful attempts, Vexen launched his own attack. He slammed his shield on the ground, and then out of nowhere, giant spears of ice shot up, each emerging closer to Sora. He ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could but was not fast enough to escape unscathed. Burns from the ice could be seen on his hands and arms. The Nobody stood up from his attack looking smug.

"Once I have taken all the information I can, you will be eliminated," he crowed. Sora sighed and muttered something neither of the Nobodies could hear, and then began rocketing down the field with deadly accuracy. The new move shocked both Jexa and Vexen. Despite his floating, Vexen could not avoid the child. Even his shield could not force him to quit, as the Keyblade wielder went through the thick shield as if it wasn't even there. Once in awhile he stopped Sora with a stronger attack, but it was still not enough. The Chilly Academic fell to the Keyblade within twenty hits.

"You're still prisoner, to the memories," Vexen gasped, on his knees and his shield gone.

Sora straightened up from his fighting posture and sent the Keyblade away. "That doesn't matter. Just give me Riku back, and Namine, if you know where she is."

He laughed and tried to stand up. "Fool. If you continue to pursue the girl you know as Namine, the chain of memories will tighten until you are Marluxia's pawn." Jexa narrowed her eyes and waited to see what he would say next. Whatever came out of his mouth would be quite useful. By now he could stand on his own two feet, but he didn't even have enough strength to stand up straight. He wouldn't be using a Corridor to go anywhere anytime soon. If she didn't get the information she wanted, then she could interrogate him later. Easy as pie.

Jexa rocked back and forth on her heels, pleased with the outcome of the battle and her vague plans, while Sora watched Vexen suspiciously, as if he didn't believe the man was wounded enough to stay in one place. Curiosity kept him talking. "Marluxia? Who's-?"

A fireball knocked Vexen to the ground. Startled, Sora whipped around to find Axel staring at where Vexen had fallen. _Damn. I forgot that he would come. This changes things. Now, if things go like Zexion thought they would…_She planned a way to get what she needed to know even with the redhead standing in her way.

Axel showed no remorse or pleasure in shutting Vexen up. "Hello Sora. Am I catching you at a bad time?"

When he had gained enough composure to stand again, Vexen looked at Axel with a mixture of shock and disgust.

"Axel, what do you think you're doing?" Vexen cried.

"I came to stop you from talking too much," he said. "By eliminating your existence." Jexa tried to move out of the bushes to stop him, but the darkness held her back. She nearly let out a snarl in her frustration.

_-Luxia! –Luxia!_ it warned. She gritted her teeth and stayed in the shadows. Of course they would be watching. If she moved out they would know about her. The information would have to come from someone else. Following the ringleaders would have to do.

Vexen's eyes widened in as much fear as could possibly be in them. "NO, Axel, please, I'm begging you, don't!"

"Think of it this way; once this is over you'll be nothing instead of a Nobody." He grinned maliciously. "You're off the hook."

"No, no Axel, I don't want to-!"

"Goodbye." He snapped his fingers and Vexen was engulfed in flames. Jexa growled with the ferocity the darkness held and left through the shadows. To compensate her losses, it told her to go to the top floor and hide in the shadows. By now she trusted the darkness with her life so did as she was told.

"Wha-what are you people?" she heard Sora say before she was totally engulfed and transferred.

"Sometimes I wonder-" Axel's voice faded away along with everything else.

Marluxia and Larxene were around the globe with Namine sitting in a chair in a corner. Both of the Organization members seemed very pleased. A moment later Axel appeared along side them.

"Good riddance. I'm glad that blabbermouth is gone," Larxene said. Axel's face remained blank, just as it had been every other time she had seen him in C.O, though when he had been with Roxas back at the castle he pretended to have emotions. Was it the Keyblade or the wielder that changed people? No matter, the thought was irrelevant.

Axel looked at Marluxia, ignoring the blonde. "You used Vexen to test Sora's strength, didn't you?"

"Yes, but also to test yours."

"We weren't sure that you had it in you to take out a fellow member. It's time to sign up." Larxene poked him and smiled. "With the three of us, taking over the Organization will be a breeze." Once more, the darkness had to restrain her from going out and relinquishing her secrecy. She wanted to slash the traitors down then and there. If she did, Axel would be forced to team up with Marluxia and Larxene to destroy her just like he had to Vexen. The darkness would not tolerate that.

Marluxia went over to Namine and put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped at his touch. "It seems that your hero is pining for you. Why don't you relieve his suffering? You can, you know."

"…Yes," she said solemnly.

"Just don't mess up his feelings. We wouldn't want to hurt the poor little mite," Larxene said. Both of them left the room through portals. Jexa came out of them shadows and put her hands on her hips, still very annoyed.

"What was Vexen going to say?"

"You were there?" he said in mock surprise.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Now what was it?" She let one hand fall and walked over near Namine.

"Marluxia wants Sora for his pawn. He has some insane plan to take over the Organization," he sighed.

"Why?" The Organization didn't seem too bad to her, though she had only been there for a few days.

"Who knows?" He shrugged and leaned against the wall, his eyes on Namine. "Why are you still here? I can't see Marluxia. There's no one here to stop you from leaving."

Her head snapped up and she looked up at Jexa. The Nobody's eyes sparkled and she put a finger on her lips for a second. "I'm not really supposed to be here. Axel, is Namine even in this room?"

The pyro restrained a grin. "I'm not sure."

She stood up from where she was sitting and ran out the door. "Just make it count," Axel said before she was gone. Once the door had closed he smiled. "Oh this should be interesting. Sora, you better make this fun to watch." He chuckled, and then stopped himself. "I'm actually enjoying this! You guys really are something."

She opened a portal on the other side of the room and started towards it. "Like you enjoyed your time with Roxas? Is he really something?" Before he could respond she was gone.

Marluxia and Larxene walked together in the darkness. They almost wished that Axel hadn't killed Vexen so they could have eliminated them both in one fell swoop."You do realize that we will have to get rid of Axel after everything is over Larxene?" Marluxia said. They were down in the basement in a part that Jexa had never seen before. Fortunately there were plenty of shadows to hide in down there, but it worked two ways. The only thing that allowed her to locate the others was the taste Larxene put in her mouth.

"Chh, obviously. _We_ are the ones who are taking over the Organization, not the pyro."

A flurry of flower petals lit up the room for a second, and then a few sparks brightened it up even more as the two took off their hoods. It only lasted a second, but it was enough to see the look on their faces. Marluxia was pleased while Larxene seemed, happy. What could make her _happy_?

"Yes, the two of us, not Axel," Marluxia said before he left Larxene standing in the darkness with Jexa.

"Two," she whispered before leaving. _So Sparky has a crush on Petals. That's really funny_. Chuckling, she went to go see how Zexion was faring. If he had managed to hurt the amulet in any way it might not work when the time came for it to be of use.

When she entered the room, Zexion was banging his fist on the table, eyes shut tight.

"This does not make sense," he muttered. "No, Vexen, but still, Axel, all of this is wrong, down to the way they talk. Do they, no, that was a ploy, something to make me want to join. It would be futile, do they not know that?"

"Hello Zexion," she said amiably. He spun around, fury in his usually cold eyes.

"You! What is going on here? What do you know?"

She shrugged and tried to act clueless. It didn't do much for him.

"Why did Axel destroy Vexen? We all benefited from the fruits of his research, even him. That was illogical in every sense of the word. What do you know?"

She could see how he restrained himself from using the word 'traitor' to describe the redhead. "How should I know? I was sent here to watch Sora, not play with Marluxia and company."

"Then what are you doing down here?" he said, crossing his arms.

Jexa went over to the equipment on the table and fiddled with a few things. The necklace hadn't seemed to be damaged, so now had had to justify her purpose. "He's in one of those rooms where things he already did he does again. I don't bother going into his memories. I go back out when he's done reliving adventures. Right now he's at the islands. I really should go out and watch him this time around since those memories have been altered a lot, but it's so boring watching him fight the Heartless, and half the time things that are supposed to be exciting turn out to be a waste of time."

"Hmph. What floor is he on?"

"The twelfth. If they're not careful he'll reach the thirteenth in no time. Like I said, I should be going but I don't want to." She looked up from the equipment and cocked her head. She thought it would be best if she acted like she didn't know what just happened. "What happened to Vexen? It must have been on the last floor because I wasn't watching Sora's memories and when he came out he told the Replica that Vexen was gone."

"He was killed by Axel."

"Axel? Why would Axel kill Vexen?"

He shrugged and played with the amulet, tugging on it a bit. "How should I know? I am stuck down here most of the time, though I would like to figure out the answer."

"Still, you gotta admit that the Reps are, uh, hap hazardous I guess, and a bit unstable."

The atmosphere became noticeably tenser. Jexa added quickly, "I mean, look at the Riku Replica. Was it really designed to attack Sora every other second?" _There goes me, my big mouth, and the darkness again. It isn't like I enjoy this; every time it makes my head hurt. Man I hate this, and I hate hating!_

Zexion did not take to her cover. "Slightly dangerous, I agree, but they do the jobs they were meant to carry out." By his tone she knew that nothing else was to be said about the topic. Obliging was perfect. Any longer and the headache she had acquired would have proved to become a problem.

"See you around Zexion." A small wave and she was gone.

"Nothing makes sense," Zexion mumbled as he buried his face in his hand.


	6. Death and Traitors

In the In Between Jexa ordered the darkness to take her to the place she was most needed in the castle. Where she ended up was beside Namine.

"Hey Namine." The blonde jumped at the greeting but didn't turn around. "If you want to go through the doors you can."

"I know Jexa, but I can't while Sora is in there. There's already a Namine, a fake one I made up, talking to him." Sorrow layered her voice, almost as if she had already given up.

Jexa thought about it for a moment, ignoring the fact that she didn't think she had given her name to Namine. "What is the fake made of?"

Namine turned her head. "What?"

"Darkness or light?"

"Memories."

She gritted her teeth. It was important for Namine to get to Sora. Why she didn't know, but as long as the darkness said it, it must be true. It hadn't lied to her yet. She went over what the girl could do. "You're a Nobody. Can't you portal through?"

She shook her head. "I never learned how to."

"A message. Could you send a message through?" she said quickly.

"If I had time."

Jexa grabbed her hand. "Make time."

Namine, shocked, tried to pull her hand out of her grip, but Jexa only strengthened her hold. "I said make time." A steady flow of darkness left her and went into Namine until she felt like she could give no more. A Nobody had the capabilities to handle such power and not let it overcome them. Namine understood what Jexa did and stepped towards the door.

"I'll try." Her eyes grew unfocused and her arms became limp as if part of her wasn't there any more. Then her lips started moving but no sound came out. A few minutes later the light came back into her eyes and hope played on her face.

"He's remembering."

Jexa waved Namine over and called the darkness back. The darkness instructed her how to do it, but she hadn't liked it one bit. It felt like blood flowing out of her into someone else. While Namine worked her own powers, Jexa felt like something was crawling through her. No matter the need, she would not be doing that ever again. At least it helped this time, at least she hoped it would make a difference in the long run. She didn't know much, but from all that the Organization put into the kid, she knew that Sora was important. "It's easier to destroy than to build." As she walked over to the shadows to transport herself to the thirteenth floor where Marluxia was, Sora came out from the room holding a little charm. She thought about explaining what was going on to him so he could make better decisions in the future, but the very prospect of trying to explain what was going on to him worsened her headache. Trying to explain something, anything, to that blockhead would give anyone a headache.

Sora pocketed the trinket and put his hands behind his back. "The one who matters most to me, what's her name? If she's so important to me, than why can't I remember?" He saw Namine standing in front of him and ran over to greet her.

"Namine, what's-?" The sound of running came down the hall, and then the Riku Replica appeared. It stood protectively in front of Namine and drew Riku's Keyblade, The Way to Dawn. He glared at Sora with a 'boy are you stupid' look on his face.

"Namine, Namine, Namine. She's all you ever talk about, Sora. Now you're finally starting to get it. Let me spell the rest out for you. Your memory is a train wreck. You and Namine are nothing, never were meant to be together. It was always me who was meant to protect her. You're not supposed to be in her life. I'm the one who should be with her! You and your messed up memories are always standing in the way!" With that it launched itself into battle against Sora. It was a foolish move. Sora used the rocking technique he had tried on Vexen earlier in the fight. Blocks and attacks failed to stop it, no matter how the Replica fashioned them. The puppet didn't last a minute against the Keyblade wielder. It collapsed to the ground gasping, Namine standing behind him watching in horror.

"Riku," Sora said, reaching out to him. The Replica threw a ball of dark energy at him as he got closer, making Sora fall to his knees. Riku straightened up, his hurt obviously feigned.

"Heh, looks like I won. This is it Sora. You won't stand in my way again." It raised The Way to Dawn in preparation to kill. Jexa got ready to attack it, sliding from shadow to shadow until she was close enough, putting up her hood and drawing her sword. She resolved to interfere only if things were irresolvable without her help.

"Riku don't!" Namine shouted. "Riku stop! STOP!"

The Replica's expression turned shocked and a spark of light appeared on its forehead. It fell to the ground as if it had been stunned.

"Riku? Riku!" Sora tried to reach it but Larxene appeared before he could move.

"Don't be so sad Sora, it's only a puppet."

"A puppet?" By now he had regained most of his strength. He charged her but she kicked him back down.

Larxene picked it up by the back of its neck. "Yes, a puppet. Looks like Vexen's still screwing things up." She threw it to one side of the room like it was a toy. "We were so close to having the Keyblade master for our puppet, and then _it_ messed everything up. Oh well, we'll just have to eliminate you. We'll get someone else." She brought out her knifes and moved in closer. Namine ran out in front of her and stretched her arms out protectively. Larxene cocked her head.

"It's a little late for the witch to grow a conscience," she sneered.

Namine looked guiltily up at her. "Yes I know, but-"

Impatience got the better of the Savage Nymph. She pushed Namine aside and moved in closer to the boy.

"Namine!" Sora cried out, reaching out to the fallen Nobody despite the pain it must have caused him.

"What? You still care about her?" Larxene laughed. "All your memories are fake. Nothing in that empty head of yours is true. Lies lies lies."

He tried to get to his feet, failing miserably. Jexa rolled her eyes and waved her sword around lazily. _If he doesn't get up soon and finish her off, then I'm going to do it myself._

"But I still made a promise."

She looked at him like he was the biggest idiot she ever met. "There isn't a promise, there never was, only fake memories that witch put in your head. Don't you get it?"

"My memories may be fake, but the promise is real to me."

"Oh give me a break!" Tired of it all, Larxene brought out her knifes on her other hand to finish him off.

"If that's what you want, I'll break you in several places," Jexa said, using the darkness' voice. Larxene turned around to find her out of the shadows staring at her. Namine's face brightened and she relaxed.

"And you would be?"

"I'm all that's left, or perhaps I'm all that there ever was." She chuckled and scratched the floor with her sword. "Nah, but my name isn't any of your concern."

Larxene gaped, startled by her arrival, but regained her composure quickly. "Ha, whatever. This should be fun. Don't die too quickly." As she moved in, a shield flew across the room and hit her in the face, clipping her under the chin. She gave a little cry and looked at Jexa accusingly. Her answer was a shrug. Over on the other side of the room Sora was standing straight and his friends were with him. They held a small conversation and then ran up to Larxene. She forgot all about Jexa and gladly fought the three. "Whatever. More pain for you means more fun for me!" It took a little more time, but she fell just as Riku had. Unlike Vexen, she didn't even have the chance to get one shot off, as Sora went directly into rocketing down the field. Stumbling back, she gasped and tried hard to stay upright.

"No…I refuse to lose…to such a bunch of losers." The air around her became distorted and darkness started to surround her. "I'm…fading? No! I don't…want to go…like this…" Because she was standing closer to her, Jexa her Larxene whimper, "Marluxia, I'm sorry," before she was completely engulfed. One moment she was there, the next she was gone. To Jexa, it was like an empty space had been filling in and now was filled.

She cocked her head and studied the place the Nobody had been moments before. "Well that was interesting. Thanks Sora."

"Wait!" Jexa turned and glared at him. He couldn't see her annoyance since her hood was on. "You were going to kill Larxene, weren't you?"

"Yep." The taste he put in her mouth had, somehow, gotten worse. It was tempting to wash her mouth out with darkness to see if that would dull it.

"Why? I mean, you and Axel are with them right? Why do you both hate them?"

She chuckled. "Axel's motives are different than mine. I don't like traitors. Whether or not he does is a different matter." She directed her attention to Namine. "I would like to talk to you later. Try not to get hurt or captured or, something, alright?"

Namine stared at the floor glumly. "Yes."

"Very good. You can get on with your explanations now. Keep Sora occupied; don't loose him in your talking. He looks a bit dizzy from all of that, whatever that attack was, and I don't want him dying in a fight with Marluxia because he didn't know which way the ground was. And Sora? I don't want you to die or anything, but try to use something fair. What you're doing now doesn't give them a chance to run if they want to. It's flat out evil. It's not right, especially for a Keyblade wielder." With that encouraging note Jexa left for The Castle That Never Was. The darkness said that it would be awhile until Sora fought Marluxia and there was not much else that would go on until then. When she entered, Saix was standing at the end of the Grey Area as if he was leaving. At the sound of the portal he turned around to see her standing there. She froze.

"Uh-oh," she mumbled as he came up to her. His expression was cold and unreadable as ever. On closer inspection she could see traces of annoyance hidden in his features.

"What is it?"

She tried to remain calm. "Larxene and Vexen have been eliminated and Marluxia will soon follow. The fate of Zexion has yet to be determined, although I believe he has nothing to do with Marluxia's plan to overthrow the Organization. Marluxia is a traitor, but that is of no concern now. Sora has amazing endurance, as he fought Vexen, the Riku Replica, and Larxene in succession, although I do admit that the Replica and Larxene are weak, was in Larxene's case. Sora is regaining his memory, but he will need Namine's help to get it all back. The process will take time." She chuckled as she brought up the memory. "If you get him to promise something he'll stick to it no matter what. He'll do anything for his friends, especially Riku and Kairi. They are more important to him than his own well being."

Saix nodded. "Yes, that is true. You do reconnaissance well. Now tell me something we have no clue about."

She crossed her arms. "There's no way that you could have known about all of that."

"No, but most of it was of no shock to me."

She studied his face for a moment and tried to use the darkness to figure out his intents, which didn't work. "You're lying," she said, basing it on his barely visible reactions.

"Hmph. Perhaps you do learn. Still, tell me something that I don't know about Sora."

"I just did, didn't I? Anyway, I'll get you some really good info when I go with him after he wakes up," she snapped. _Oh not this again__._

Saix's eyes lit up. "What do you mean exactly?" He stiffened as he thought about her words more. "You will not travel with the Keyblade master."

"After he gets out of the pod and before he gets on the magic train, and that will be for Xemnas to decide," she sighed. "And don't you dare ask me how I know. I don't know, okay? I'm going to go walk around for a minute before going back. See ya."

"You are going straight back," he ordered as she neared the exit.

She spun around on her heels and crossed her arms. "Oh come on. There's nothing to do there right now and there won't be for another hour or so."

"Then your mission changes. I want you to go see Marluxia directly and find out whatever you can."

Jexa grinned and rubbed her palms together. "This is going to be fun!" she snickered before leaving.

Saix shook his head and left to go see the Superior. Things would be so much simpler if he didn't have to mentor the child when she came back. He knew that they were on rocky ground already. It would be easier if he could pass her around for the other members to deal with like Axel had with Roxas, but from what she said they were going to be short on members. He would have to train her himself. What a waste of time. At least he had been permitted to send her off to C.O for a few days before he had to do any actual mentoring.

Jexa appeared in the basement of C.O behind Zexion, who was busy jotting notes down and transferring information from book to book. Sensing that she had entered, he swerved around, and then went back to his work.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Due to the fact that Vexen is no longer among us, I have taken up the task of-"

"Can you keep it short? I have to be going."

He turned back around and gave her a critical glance. "Why? You have always been so eager to stay before."

She shuffled around and stuck her hands in her pockets. "I, uh, was reprimanded for not watching Sora carefully enough. The whole 'every little bit of what he does is important,' was discussed and repeated again and again, and I don't want to hear it another time."

Zexion went back to his work. "It was deserved. You need to learn to benefit the Organization first and satisfy your own desires second, or subdue them. A lesson then. If you find Sora and tell me something new about the way he fights, I will tell you what I am doing. Now leave me and work on your assignment."

She took a step forward and nearly yanked him around. The only people who could be so blunt and order her around like that were Saix, because he was her mentor, and Xemnas, because he was the leader of the Organization. She refused to take it. "You think you're so high and mighty, don't you Ienzo?" she snapped. "You think that you can do whatever you want just because logic says you can, just because you knew Xehanort personally. Well guess what? I'm not buying it. Go delude yourself that everyone thinks logically, that anyone cares who you knew when you were a Somebody. See where it takes you. What you used to know may not be what you need to know. Where was logic when your heart was stolen? What was the logic in your father's death? What has Xehanort done for you recently, or any of us for that matter?"

"Enough!" He slammed his hand down on the table and started shaking. With a quavering voice he said, "I do not know how you know all of those things, and I do not know how you knew my doubts, but know this: the next time you speak of this, to me or anyone else, you will not be. I could call you a traitor for half of the things you said. Do I make myself clear?"

Jexa opened a portal and backed into it. "Yes Zexion. Crystal." Her reassurance didn't matter to him, as he stayed tense and immobile.

_What does she know?_ he thought, panicked, his solid defenses against fake emotions crumbling. _How, no one should know that. No one except __him__, and even he should keep quiet. Some of those things were my secrets, mine and mine alone._ Zexion buried his face in his hands. _What is going on?_

Jexa stepped out behind Marluxia in a room she had never seen before. It was a standard Castle Oblivion room with white walls and long, narrow windows near the roof, but in some way it was more elegant than the norm. The Graceful Assassin seemed to be waiting for someone and was not paying attention to anything other than the door on the opposite side of the room. She threw on her hood and cleared her throat. He turned his head to look at her.

"So you have finally decided to come out in the open?" he questioned. Jexa nodded. "And I assume you are an imposter?" For the heck of it, she nodded again. Marluxia faced her fully and drew his scythe. "Then it is my duty as a member of the Organization to eliminate you. I am a merciful man, however, and I will allow you to run. It is your choice."

Jexa yawned and let the darkness do the talking. "I wonder, Marluxia, how is your plan working? Vexen is dead, and with him, any new developments on the Replica projects, and Larxene is also gone. Sora is slowly regaining his memory and your little pet has bitten the hand which feeds her."

Marluxia charged her and swung his scythe, only to miss her as she jumped into the shadows of a pillar. Hopefully he would keep on listening and waiting between attacks. Without her ability to control the darkness in others, she knew she was no match for the older, more experienced Nobody. Her only chance of staying in one piece was to evade his attacks to the best of her abilities. She noticed that he left himself open when he brandished his weapon, but there wasn't nearly enough time to land an attack before he swung again.

He stood where Jexa was moments before and ran a finger up and down the side of his weapon. "Nothing you have said concerns you. Leave Castle Oblivion. I have no time to deal with you at the moment. You are no match for me. Fight, and you will die."

"Aww, is Mar-Mar getting agitated?" She giggled as she moved from one shadow to the next until she was directly behind him. "I think that you are avoiding something. It's okay to be upset," she said in a soft, singsong voice, using her own for the statement.

Marluxia's scythe dropped to the ground. "L-Larxene?"

Jexa laughed. "Nope, just me! Oops!" In her fun she had forgotten to take on the darkness' voice again.

Marluxia picked up his scythe and tried to hit her again, catching the end of her coat sleeve_. __Man he's fast. I hope this ends soon__,_ she thought.

"So it's you. Why lead me to think you were an imposter?"

Jexa shrugged from the shadow of a pillar. "For laughs."

Marluxia tossed his hair, sending flower petals everywhere. "Laughter, sadness, we are permitted neither of these things. We should not pretend to have what we cannot."

"Heh, you sound a lot like Saix." She moved farther away from him to make sure he wouldn't catch her off guard as easily as the last time. "I know what you mean, but why deny yourself? It's good practice for when we do have a heart, y'know, when Kingdom Hearts is complete."

"Hmph. Do you really believe the power will be given to all of us? We planned to take over the Organization for a reason. Do you think we risked our existence for mere control? Xigbar hinted of something Xemnas-"

Axel appeared on the other side of the room, distracting Marluxia. Jexa hissed and fled into the shadows. There was nothing to be gained while the pyro stood around disrupting her work. Later she would go to finish what she had started with Number XI.

As the last traces of the world faded away, a loud crashing erupted next to her. Cold seeped into her and, shuddering, she pressed herself harder into the darkness. Axel's faint voice could be heard, saying, "Why, Marluxia, it isn't very nice to attack our guests."

"You have some nerve showing up around here, traitor."

The two carried on with their conversation as she sank deeper and deeper into the darkness. Something was wrong. By this point she should have been somewhere else, at least in the In Between if she didn't know where to go, not the permanent darkness she was in. Jexa turned to see if she had landed in a dark place, then realized she could turn, so she definitely had come to a destination. Exactly where was the issue. It was empty, dark, and had a menacing air to it. The place wasn't a dark darkness like the kind one can't see in, but more like a place where shadows had swallowed all light. Jexa tried to ask the darkness where she was but got no answer, not even a rejection. A laugh behind her made her jump. It came from a man dressed in all white, white suit, white gloves, white shoes, with white hair and chalk white skin. The only part of him that had any color was his pitch black eyes. They were normal, other than the fact that the irises were darker than the pupils.

Jexa drew her sword. "Who're you?"

The pale man laughed again. "I? I am darkness itself. You have no need for that here, rest assured." His voice was raspy, as if he had been shouting for quite some time. If it hadn't been so overused it would have been as smooth as silk.

"Hmph. I don't-"

"Believe you. How could you be darkness? You look like you're better suited for the light," he said, stealing the words out of her mouth. He laughed. "Oh contraire, my dearest. You see, my skin has never seen the light of anything, so it is pale as a Dusk as a result. My clothes show my mastery. Do you know why your kind wears those black cloaks?"

"I don't," she said warily.

"It is because even your kind does not have complete control over the darkness, not even you dearest. The cloaks are used as camouflage so the darkness does not consume them. I, on the other hand, can be as different from the darkness as I please and stay unscathed." He brushed the topic away with a flick of his wrist. "So tell me dearest, what brings you to the Dark?"

Jexa sent the sword away and regarded the man before answering. He had no visible weapon and did not seem to be a threat. For some reason she did not want to get on his bad side and knew it would be hard for her to do so. What he said about being the darkness she still did not believe, yet his ability to know miscellaneous things seemed similar. _It would be nice to be able to ask the darkness what all of this meant_, she thought wistfully.

The man smiled. "You can always ask me dearest."

"Stop that," she snapped.

His smile grew. "What, exactly, would you like me to stop?"

She shuffled her feet. "You, were in my head, and you're calling me dearest. I don't know you, so shouldn't you be calling me by my name?" When she realized she hadn't given it, she added, "It's Jexa."

The man chuckled and teleported next to her. He did it silently, unlike the way the Organization did it, unlike the way a Nobody would have done it. Only Nobodies and Heartless could perform that trick, but not so neatly. "Dearest, I know your name and I've been inside your head for the past few days helping you along. I am sorry, though, for giving you such a headache the other night, and you didn't receive the better end. All of that most helpful information did not sink in. Terribly sorry for that little mess up dearest. I do learn from my mistakes, so that will not occur again."

"My name is Jexa," she growled. "Not 'dearest,' and how did you know-?"

"About my headache, and what do you mean you were in my head for the past few days?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head sadly. "Dearest, I thought you were more intelligent than that. I _am_ the darkness."

Jexa took a step back. "Okay, let's say you really are the darkness. That doesn't explain why you call me 'dearest'."

"No, I guess it does not," he sighed. "The other Nobodies, that is what you call yourselves, correct? Yes, well, they are, to put it simply, tools to get what I want done. The Heartless are slaves, disposable and worthless. Both types of beings are deaf and blind. They can hear the warping of the darkness, but they cannot hear me. They can see the colors of the darkness, they can find their way through it with little difficulty, but they cannot see me." He brushed some invisible particle off his pristine jacket with a look of disgust. "They call themselves creatures of darkness without meeting darkness itself. But you!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up and startling Jexa. "You can hear me and see me. You are a child of the darkness, a prodigy of the shadows. That is why I call you 'dearest,' dearest. I see you as my most valuable one, the one who means the most to me."

Jexa froze, unsure about what to do. "I, I uh, well, you see, um, what do you mean?"

He shook his head, smiling. "I see you are having some difficulty with remaining emotions. Here, let me assist you with controlling them." The pale man blinked, changing his eye color to a solid red. He kept it that way for several seconds before switching them back to their previous black. His laughing expression turned cold. "Dearest, why did you touch the brightest light?"

"What?"

"The brightest light. The one who burned you. You must know you cannot touch someone so bright who is not mixed in with the darkness."

She played with the rip on her sleeve where Marluxia had torn her coat. "I didn't know I couldn't touch Sora until-"

Before his movement even registered, the man had his hand at her throat. "Don't ever say his name here, the name of the brightest light," he hissed. As fast as he came, he was gone. "Now," he said from a solid ten feet away. "I trust you will not try that stunt with the brightest light again."

"No," she mumbled, shamed more than she ever had been before she became a Nobody. A part of her questioned why she worried so much about his approval. If another Nobody did that, she would have ripped his head off.

"Good. You do not disappoint. I was able to repair your ability to control the darkness in others, but do not expect me to do so again. A mistake once is ignorance, a mistake twice is idiocy. Also, if you ever feel the need to rid yourself of emotions, you are now capable. Even those who have no hearts to hold their emotions in have difficulty restraining what little are left. Such potent things, emotions, are they not?" He spun around on the balls of his feet and pointed at her. "You didn't answer my original question. What brings you here to the Dark?"

Jexa shrugged. _So this place is called the Dark, or is it The dark? Whatever, I don't care. It won't make a difference._ "Got stuck, I guess."

"No, I don't believe so." He paced back and forth, arms crossed. "Let me think. Were you moving while transferring yourself through the shadows? It is slightly more difficult to go through shadows rather than fabricating your own Corridor. You should use that trick for emergencies instead, or perhaps if you're feeling lazy, though know I do not tolerate laziness."

"No, and I'll keep it in mind."

"Perhaps you were pushed?"

"I don't think so."

"Attacked then?"

"By Marluxia, but he didn't hit me."

The pale man clenched and unclenched his fists, still pacing. "If his demise was not soon to be, I would acknowledge what he tried. No one attempts to hit another while they are shifting through darkness, no one, not even one who takes refuge in the light. The light and I agreed to this. Marluxia is not sound at the moment." He spat the words as if they put a bad taste in his mouth. "No matter. I believe you were taken here by you own darkness to protect you from Marluxia. Because you were sent and not called, you can leave whenever you want."

"And if I had been called?"

He gave her a wry smile. "You would not be able to leave until you uncovered what it was you were sent to do and finish it."

"How long would that take?"

The pale man laughed and moved closer to her. "Why ask things when you have no need to ask them? Go dearest. You will be needed in the light shortly. Time grows short. On arrival in the light, your darkness will be under your control again. A word of advice dearest, trying training your pet. It did not prove to be much of an opponent."

"Yes, um, okay," she said, not sure exactly what he meant. He confused her with the riddles. "Goodbye, uh, what do you want me to call you?"

He chuckled. "Call me by whatever name you see fit."

Jexa thought about it for a moment. "I can't find a good name."

"Then call me nothing." He stepped forwards and shoved her back, sending her into the realm of light. She was back in the basement, Zexion nowhere in sight. _Odd_, she thought. _He's always here, though he must have other things to do. Wonder where he went_. She almost opened a portal to go to the thirteenth floor, then decided against it. The man in the Dark had said she would be needed soon, and the only person who could possibly need her was Zexion. Might as well make use of her time. Hiding in the shadows would allow some insight to whatever he might say while working.

Zexion came around the corner a few minutes later, examining a card with a pleased expression on his face. He flipped through the pages of his Lexicon before opening a portal and stepping through. Jexa stepped out of the shadows, only to be stopped by Axel. The portal closed in front of her.

She brought out her sword. "What's you problem?" she said tersely.

Axel remained nonchalant. "You should be upstairs watching Marluxia's final acts."

She thought about it for a moment. "In truth, I haven't done much of what Saix asked me to do. I don't see why I should start caring now."

He shook his head, a small grin on his face. "Tisk tisk Jexa. You should know better. What shall we do if we don't do as the Organization asks of us? You do want to complete Kingdom Hearts the same as us, don't you?" Something moved in the shadows behind the pyro.

"Yeah yeah, sure," she said quickly as she tried to get a better look at whatever it was Axel was hiding.

"You don't sound too sure."

Jexa looked up and narrowed her eyes. His tone was different than it usually was, more formal than his regular laid-back voice. It was the one he used with Larxene and Marluxia to try and convince them he was on their side and the one he used with Vexen before he killed him.

Jexa tightened her grip on her sword and reached for her darkness. "Why are you down here Axel?" she asked, efficiently changing the subject. "You usually stay with Sora."

He crossed his arms in his usual relaxed form. "Sora believes I'm dead. The traitors are gone, but a threat still remains."

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Not Sora, as his memory needs to be corrected. Namine, because of her powers? I could eliminate her easily if-"

"Riku."

"Riku? He's here? Heh, wish I had known earlier. I could have met him and toyed with him a bit."

Axel gave her a smile. "He isn't done with his tour of the castle yet. You could go after Zexion finishes his turn."

He was still using his dangerous voice, but Jexa was so caught up in the idea of messing with Riku she didn't notice. "That'd be great. Thanks Axel."

Axel opened a portal for her. "Riku will be waiting for you."

She nodded and stepped through. About halfway between one place and the other, she heard Zexion step in. It sounded like he was hurt badly. Still, Axel was there, so the Cloaked Schemer would be taken care of. Then the images flashed into her mind, pictures of the Riku Replica holding Zexion in the air by the throat, Axel watching in the background without doing a thing. She exited the darkness in a hurry and ran into the room next door to Vexen's old lab. Zexion was lying face down on the other side of the room, his necklace glowing.

"Zexion!" she cried. She raced to his side and sat next to him. The necklace was glowing brighter and brighter, then suddenly the light turned to darkness and a sphere enveloped Zexion.

"What?" Jexa touched the dark ball experimentally. Nothing happened. Resigned to his fate, she tried to stand up. Her hand stuck to the ball. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the sphere to release her. The effort was exhausting, no, the ball was sapping energy from her limbs. Jexa tried to take her hand off with renewed vigor, yet it was fruitless. Within a minute she had dropped to the floor from fatigue.


	7. Home Again

When she woke up, Zexion was lying in the same position he was earlier and the man in white was standing opposite to them, his face blank. Jexa tried to push herself off the ground, but he shook his head. She resorted to sitting, though it made her feel like a child.

"Dearest, you didn't invest any energy into the toy before you gave it? Foolish," he chided. She opened her mouth to speak, but he wasn't finished. "And why him? You could have saved someone worthwhile, like Lexaeus. He was a valuable asset to the Organization, more than this one." He motioned towards Zexion, thoroughly disgusted.

"I- How should I have known to do anything to the necklace?" she said hotly. "And I didn't even know Lexaeus was here."

The man in white touched his forehead in exasperation. "You are untrained and undereducated child. The sooner you are taught the better." He sighed and knelt down next to her, facing Zexion. "Now, pay attention. I am only going to do this once for you. I should not have to do it at all." He placed one hand on Zexion's forehead and traced patterns on his body with the other. It was complete concentration; the patterns were not random but searching, trying to find something unseen. Jexa could feel the slight aura of darkness the man had placed around his hand. As to why it was there she didn't know, but she made a mental note of it.

Zexion groaned as the man passed over his neck, then again as he touched his chest. The man cursed. "Those bastards," he hissed. "They basically killed him twice. Watch carefully now dearest." He scooped some darkness out of the floor and pressed it to Zexion's neck, letting it all seep in before releasing the pressure. The skin was dark as the blackness for a good while before it turned back to its normal paleness. He unzipped Zexion's coat down to where he had complained, showing an ugly black and blue bruise. He traced the outer edges of it before clicking his tongue.

"That isn't normal." A snap of his fingers drew the bruise out, which turned out to be a mess of darkness and not anything like a bruise. Throughout the process, Zexion screamed in agony even though he was still unconscious. Jexa had to use the man's gift of blocking emotions to bear hearing the noise. How, she didn't exactly know, but she was very glad afterwards it happened. When the last drop had been drained, the man forced it into the ground like he had forced the darkness into Zexion.

"What was-?"

He cleared his throat. "Residue from Riku's Keyblade. Do I ever hate those things. Anyway, the boy is so infected with Xehanort's foul darkness, it seeped into everything he has, including his Keyblade and his friends. The hit this one obtained was deep and powerful, great enough to thrust some of that darkness into him. It kept him alive, as he obtained more than Lexaeus, but it made him vulnerable."

"What about-?"

"The screaming?" He went back to healing Zexion. "He felt both of his deaths over again. I do not believe it was pleasant."

Within seconds of the finished treatment, Zexion's face appeared more relaxed and his hands unclenched. The pale man looked over his nails, pleased with himself.

"You may go now. Take him with you." It wasn't a suggestion. Jexa nodded and left, Zexion in tow. They ended up in Hollow Bastion in a small house just big enough for Zexion. Satisfied, Jexa stepped out of the shadows towards the bed to put Zexion down, but her legs buckled.

"Crap, you weigh a ton," she gasped. Still, she placed him on the bed and prepared to leave. Zexion grabbed her arm before she could go.

"J-Jexa," he stammered.

She made him let go of her arm. "Yeah, it's me. You should stay here Zex. Axel thinks you're dead, so the Organization does as well. It doesn't help any that you're seriously hurt. I'll be back shortly, alright?"

He struggled to get up, wincing at the pain it caused him before falling back onto the bed. "Then I, need to correct, their mistake. I-"

She brushed his bangs out of his face to check his temperature, satisfied when it seemed normal. "You need to stay here. Goodbye Zexion. Once I'm done playing with Riku, I'll help you set up here."

_Playing with Riku…_ The words registered in his head a few seconds too late. "No!" he cried, but she was already gone. He sank into the pillows. Hopefully she wouldn't start a fight, else she might not come back.

Jexa put her hood up while she was walking through the In Between and also turned the darkness' voice on, though she let a little of her own leak through. Things would be more interesting later because of it. On the other side, Riku was climbing the small stairway up to the door. She came out directly in front of him. Both King Mickey and Riku drew their Keyblades and jumped back a few feet. She chuckled. The Keyblade wielders were always so different from the Nobodies. They were fun to watch.

Riku raised a hand to his mouth. "You're another one of them. You reek of darkness. Actually, you're worse than any of the others. What's with you?"

Jexa touched her chest. "So rude. I feel very insulted." She laughed and dropped her hand. "You are-" She touched her darkness and took control of Riku. "Sweet, like us, and bitter, like Sora. Very interesting."

Riku gasped and tried to move but found himself unable. Jexa eyed his Keyblade. "That has to go." With a clap of her hands it disappeared. King Mickey finally caught on. He stood protectively in front of Riku, Keyblade still in hand.

He looked back at the silver-haired boy. "C'mon Riku. She's no different from Ansem. Remember, the light will never give up on you. You can fight whatever comes your way."

Riku struggled in his binding while Jexa laughed. Little fights were always so much fun. "This isn't a matter of the heart. It's a matter of the darkness inside of someone." She turned to Riku. "If you were more like Sora, then I wouldn't be able to control you. Until then, it's easy as breathing." For the heck of it, she let him control his limbs and powers again. He took the bait and attacked her with his Soul Eater after transforming into his dark self. Grinning broadly, she overtook him again just as he was about to stab her through, his sword an inch from her chest and his face so close she could feel his hot breath. She stayed where she was to antagonize him further.

"Riku, Riku," she taunted. "How easy are you going to make this for me? I already told you how I work. Your answer to being dark is to be darker? No, no, no Riku. We all know that isn't right."

The King slashed the air in his apparent frustration, not daring to come over to Riku's rescue in case Jexa would enslave him as well. In truth, she could do nothing of the sort. He was of 'the brightest lights.' To touch Mickey was to be burned. Besides, she could only control one person at a time. Riku shuddered with anger from his captive standing position.

"Riku! Don't give in! Keep fighting!" Mickey yelled.

Jexa pressed two fingers to her forehead, mimicking the man in white, and took a few steps back. "How dense are you two? This has nothing to do with what Riku can do, unless he can discard the darkness and become a true Keyblade wielder. I don't think he can. The darkness will live in him forever, no matter what he does. I know it."

Riku tightened his grip on his Keyblade, not a good sign. Jexa tried to stop him from gaining any more control, but he was employing the light inside of him. It wouldn't be too much longer before it became unbearable. Riku's light couldn't burn, but it could be very irritating.

"You're wrong," Riku protested. "One day I'll be free of the darkness forever. I won't let it control me."

Jexa sighed. "Are all Keyblade wielders blockheads? Look, I said you couldn't do anything, 'kay? You fail. You cannot contain the darkness. You cannot eliminate the darkness. I know just by how you talk, how you're acting. Ask your Ansem. Something like, 'he who knows nothing can understand nothing.' He was right too." She paused. "I should leave now. If I don't, I'm going to be wicked tired and have a headache. G'bye Riku, Mickey." She let go of the darkness after the portal engulfed her. Riku charged the ball of darkness and slashed through it, just as she had expected. It sent her to the Dark.

The man in white was waiting for her. She couldn't tell if he was pleased or not. It was slightly unnerving, as usually he was one or the other. There was no in between. She had learned that even in the short time they had known each other.

He stayed stationary until she was at his side. Only then did he even seem to breathe. "Do not play with the Keyblade wielders. They are very fragile."

Jexa sighed and played with the rip on her sleeve from Marluxia's attack. It still hadn't been fixed. "It's so fun though. Can I play with just Riku?"

A smile played at the corner of his lips. "I suppose one out of the three couldn't hurt." Then he froze and turned his back to her.

"Um-?"

"Silence," he growled. He listened intently to something only he could hear.

"No, it is not my fault," he muttered, his foot tapping impatiently. "If your Keyblade Masters cannot stay in the light, I will not stop them from crossing into my realm. I-" He stopped short. "Hah, this is the second time by my count. There was another-"

Jexa stood in the background, extremely confused, while the conversation continued. The only one she could hear was the man, but she knew he wasn't talking to himself. The silence spoke measures.

"… (_He does not count. He was chosen by a wielder as dark and confused as he_.)"

"He does too count. So does Roxas. He's mine."

"… (_Hmph. I didn't mean for Roxas to come into being. He was never even supposed to exist_.)"

"Oh, that is cruel, especially since I allowed you to have Sora back. Now, about that, special, boy."

"… (_You will not have my Riku. He is what keeps Sora going. On this note, have your toy stop confusing the wielders_.)"

"What keeps Sora going? That is interesting. I should have known."

"… (_Damn it_…)"

"Ha-ha, you've never done to well with hiding things-"

"… _(You'd be surprised_…)"

"Back on track, you know she's right."

"… (_It does not mean she has to torment him_)"

Jexa stood rigid, knowing he was talking to someone about her. "I say she does as she sees fit," he said.

"… (_That is a foolhardy decision_.)"

"She has a mentor and me."

"Stop it," Jexa snapped. "Why are you-?"

The man glared at her, his eyes red. "Be quiet. You know not of what you speak." He went back to his conversation. "Now, where were we?"

"… (_That was harsh_.)"

"But necessary. Now, where were we? Oh right, the Riku boy."

"… (_You've done enough to him. Tell your 'dearest' to leave him alone_.)"

"I haven't done anything. Sure, it was a Heartless that infected him, but I refuse to control those pests."

The tension in the air mounted.

"… (_Fine, but leave mine alone_.)"

He stopped tapping his foot. "Why should I? You have been killing my best. I could easily have a few of mine come after one of those children and destroy him once and for all. A little Riku Nobody. It would be a nice present for my finest."

"… (_You wouldn't dare__._)"

"Wouldn't I? Damn, you took out half of my best creatures of the dark. I should take one of yours."

"… (_You did_.)"

"And then I gave him back."

A whisper of a breeze floated through the room, sounding almost like a sigh. "… (_You know why I do these things_.)"

"For the millionth time, I do not know what you are talking about."

"LIAR!" A feminine voice shook the room, one that was delicate yet strong and tinted with laughter. It was not laughing now, and neither was the man.

"You will pay for this!" he roared. "You dare cross me?" Jexa shrank back at the sound. It would have sent a regular person to their grave from fright. She waited until he was moderately calmed down before trying to talk to him.

"I, uh, was wondering about the whole name thing."

"Yes, spit it out," he growled.

"I was wondering if I could call you Nothing."

"You have been." His tone almost shut her up then and there.

"N-No. I literally mean 'Nothing.' As in, hello Nothing."

He gave her a small smile, but she didn't relax. "Slightly fitting. What is in the darkness besides more darkness? Nothing but nothingness itself."

She rotated her shoulder, glad that he accepted it. For a minute she thought that he would become furious and that was something she never wanted to see. "Okay. So, Nothing, what are we going to do about the Keyblade wielders?"

He blinked in surprise. "What will we do about them?"

"You kept talking about Riku."

Nothing's mouth set into a straight line. "Because of you. She hates when someone confuses her precious little wielders. Overprotective. She is always turning the tables in her favor." He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "No matter. Return to your friend. He is going to kill himself from effort if you don't."

Alarm bells went off in Jexa's head. "Thanks, bye!"

Zexion was struggling to sit up in the room Jexa had put him in. She had been gone too long. More than likely she had died. If he didn't get up, he would lay there forever. It would be ridiculous not to try. The Organization expected it of him.

"What are you doing?"

He fell off his elbows back onto the bed at the sound of her voice. He stared at her, eyes wide. "Jexa, I thought-" The words were too much for his strained throat. They stuck in his mouth and gagged him.

She raised an eyebrow, not understanding, until she thought about what he said. "I don't fall that easy," she chuckled. "How've you been?"

"How do you, think?" he groaned.

She saw how his teeth were grinding together and the way he was clutching the sheets. "I'm going to go get you some painkillers. Be back shortly." She walked out the door and closed it behind her. Zexion tried to put the thought of emotions out of reach by becoming aware of every atom in his body, a trick he had learned a while back, but it was too painful to bear. _I wish I knew what Xaldin did,_ he thought wistfully, gritting his teeth_. __He always had, has a perfect attitude, even as a Somebody. I compromised the mission because, no, Axel did that_. He kept debating inwardly to pass the time.

Meanwhile, Jexa made sure she was far enough away from the house before traveling to Traverse Town. There, she knew the clerk and could get things without question. At least, that was how it worked in her mind.

The small bell rang as she pushed the door open. The clerk looked up to see Jexa's hooded face.

She grinned. "Hello doll. Where've you been?"

Jexa shrugged. "Around."

"And you haven't stopped by? How inconsiderate," she said, leaning over the counter.

She walked through the shelves searching for the painkillers. "Not around here," she said, loud enough to be heard by the clerk. "Just, around. You know what I mean?" There was enough of a pause to know the woman didn't get it. "Like, been here, been there, saw him, saw them, that sort of thing."

"You mean world traveling. Aren't we the lucky one?"

"Yeah, sorta." Jexa took a small bottle of the shelf and walked over to the counter.

The lady rang it up. "Care to say where?"

"Nope."

"'Kay doll." She checked the register. "That'll be a hundred munny."

Jexa began to fish out the correct change out of her pocket.

The clerk picked up the bottle and read the labels. "You have a friend who sprained his ankle or something?"

Jexa paid little attention. "It's a bit worse than that."

The clerk shook her head and went into the body of the store, put the bottle away, and came back with a different one. Jexa watched with little interest. "Higher dose doll. You'll need it if it's any worse than a sprained ankle."

She nodded and thanked the woman.

"I thought you should know doll," she said as she rang the small bottle up. "My name is Marcy."

Jexa shrugged and placed the two hundred munny on the counter, the price of the pills, then left without saying goodbye. She couldn't care less.

Zexion was growing impatient when Jexa came back. He sighed with relief. One thought that crossed his mind after she left was that she had gone back to Castle Oblivion to attempt to destroy Riku after he had put the thought in her head. She tossed a small bottle to his side. He picked it up and read the side: _Painkiller_. The designers couldn't make it much more obvious than that. At the bottom was a small symbol he had associated with Traverse Town products. Zexion left it alone. He was too tired to care.

"Here." Jexa handed him a glass of water. "Take two of those. In a few hours you can take another two. Don't overdose. I'll be in the other room taking a nap."

Zexion blinked in acknowledgment and swallowed the medicine. Jexa took the bottle and placed it on a table not too far from the Cloaked Schemer, then went into the next room and fell asleep on the couch. The day, not even half over yet, had been exhausting. It didn't help any that sleep hadn't been allowed over the past few days. There had simply been no time for anyone to do so. Just because they were Nobodies didn't mean they were so superhuman they didn't need to rest.

Zexion waited until Jexa was out of the room before summoning his Lexicon. He didn't want her to think he was trying to fight her off or have her take him over to send it away. All he wanted was a good read. After twenty-five minutes of reading about nothing in particular, the painkillers kicked in. With everything hurting less, Zexion was able to relax into a light sleep.

A few hours later, Jexa woke up to a pounding headache. _This is what I get for messing with Riku_. She reluctantly slid off the couch and into the room Zexion was sleeping in. She bit back a cry as she made sure his neck, the injury she was most worried about, was okay. A few bruises had developed where the Replica had grabbed him, so it was healing. He looked fine overall, though his pain was evident from the grimace that seemed to be plastered to his face. Still, he had the right to be uncomfortable after all he went through.

"What did you go through?" Jexa mumbled to no one in particular. She almost asked the darkness, but with her head pounding, she didn't dare risk upgrading the headache to one that would be crippling. Instead, she went outside and sat guard. Someone had to live in the little house. It was too well kept to be abandoned.

Not a half and hour later, a man walked up to the place and nearly tripped over her. He was the business type down to the letter; he even had the stereotypical brown hair and eyes. Everything about him was fixed in place, and it seemed like he would never drop his briefcase or wear anything other than his black suit. Even his attitude was perfected, as he regarded her as someone would see an ant in his path. Absolutely the perfect businessman, and perfectly over his head.

"Move it girl," he ordered. "Go home, or do whatever children do around six at night."

"It's around six? Huh, thought it was earlier," she said while snapping her fingers. She stopped on six.

"Yes, now get out of my way before I call the police on you."

She allowed her eyes to widen slightly in order to display the correct level of mocking shock. "There's law enforcement around here? I thought this place was a quiet little town." Behind the man, a few Neoshadows stepped out of the gloom, six of them. He didn't notice.

The man jutted out his chin. "I will call them child! Stop playing around!"

Jexa hung her head and smiled. "I'll give you to the count of ten to leave here and forget all about me. One, two-"

"You can't be serious! This is my property and you have no right to even be here!"

"Four, five, six-"

The man swore and swung at her head with his briefcase, missing by a small margin.

She glared at him. "Wrong move. Ten."

All six of the Neoshadows pounced on him, taking his heart immediately. There was a look of terror playing upon his face before he was turned into a Shadow. Jexa dismissed all seven of them, one now an Angel Star, and went back inside. Zexion was awake, looking extremely drowsy.

"Any better?"

He shifted on the bed, wincing slightly. "Not by much."

"Have you taken the painkillers yet?"

"No," he muttered, not caring. The Organization never gave out medicine for pain, at least not while he had been there. He despised sinking so low as to taking the stuff.

She went over and shook two out. "You need to. Speaking of needing to do something, I have to go back to the castle." She paused and closed her eyes, simulating the scene in her mind. "Saix is going to be ticked. I know I'm late."

Zexion chuckled, then gasped because of the pain. "Yes, you should go. The Organization must be wondering where you are." He yawned and pulled the sheets closer to his face.

Jexa nodded and opened a portal. "If you want, I could come back here until you're well enough to walk around without trouble."

Zexion sighed. "I suppose it is necessary for a while."

"I'll come when my missions are over." With that she left. Instead of coming out in the Grey Area, she was in the Dark. Nothing was smiling and rocking on his heels.

"You were going back to The World That Never Was, were you not?"

"Y-yeah," she said, a bit wary of Nothing because of the last time.

"Genius, darling, genius!" He laughed heartily. Jexa shifted her weight from one side to another, feeling very uncomfortable. When Nothing realized what she was doing he snapped out of his good mood.

"If you think your display will be accepted by Xemnas, you have another thing coming. Use the gift I gave you. Now."

"I don't-"

Nothing waved his hand around. "The mere thought of it should do."

_I don't want emotions? Is that all it will__-?_ Out of nowhere, she felt nothing, just like it was when her heart had been first stolen. Everything was driven by pure logic. In this state, she saw something she didn't before.

"If I go back now, Xemnas will be, unhappy."

Nothing nodded. "Correct. You need some information, as he will most definitely ask you questions about Sora. Let's see. What happened there and what will happen?" He began pacing and tapping one of his crossed arms.

"He was Marluxia's pawn for awhile," she offered.

"Yes, perhaps that would work. Axel could confirm it. Now for the thing which will happen. Not too momentous though."

They both thought about it. Whatever Jexa would tell Xemnas he would use to his advantage, but they couldn't tell him something small. It had to be in the middle or something so unexpected to the Organization they would not guess the truth, a delicate procedure as usual.

Nothing snapped his fingers. "I have it. Sora will want to kill the Nobodies simply because they are Nobodies."

Jexa looked up, unable to believe what she was hearing. Even in her logical state, it made no sense.

Seeing her confusion, he added, "He shares DiZ's mentality of their, mistake, of being created as a reason to destroy them. Mickey's mentor, Yen Sid, who was told of the Nobodies by Mickey, who was told of them by DiZ, told Sora of the Nobodies. DiZ said they released the Heartless in order to obtain new Nobodies. This may be true in some cases, but not all. Sora was set up by DiZ in order to destroy the Organization."

Jexa nodded. "Xemnas will be pleased."

"Yes, and I can see no outcome other than DiZ being more of a target. This is turning out very well." Nothing sighed contently. "Go now and share your deceptions."

"Yes Nothing." She turned around and walked out.

Jexa stepped into the Gray Area to find Saix talking to Roxas. She waited until the kid had walked off dejectedly to come out of the shadows to go to Saix.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, shocked.

She rolled her eyes. " Just a 'where have you been,' no 'welcome back,' or 'glad to see you'? Thanks, I feel so loved."

Saix motioned her to follow him down the corridor. "We believed no one from Castle Oblivion survived. No one has come back yet, except you. Where are the rest of the members?"

Jexa pushed her bangs out of her eyes, only to have them fall back in place, as she walked with Saix. "I don't know. Marluxia, Vexen, Larxene, and maybe Zexion, are all dead. I don't know where Axel is."

"What happened to the three who were eliminated?"

"Sora killed Larxene, Marluxia, and Vexen. Zexion went to fight Riku and never came back."

Saix accepted the situation. The traitors had been dealt with, along with those who could threaten his plan. Axel had done well. "And what happened to Lexaeus and Axel?"

"I don't know. I didn't see Lexaeus while I was there and Axel ran off somewhere." She made the last part sound like an insult. For her, the best-case scenario would be if Axel had died in a battle with Riku.

"At least you came back. Now we have a source for what went on," Saix said. Her spiteful comment about Axel had not escaped him. It was too bad she had not been killed in C.O as well. She had probably seen him kill someone, Lexaeus most likely. However, he couldn't understand why Axel had chosen to confront the Silent Hero if either Keyblade wielder could have done the job. The story of Zexion was suspicious as well. He had known the Cloaked Schemer since he had joined, and he knew it took more than one hard blow to take him out. If Zexion was still around, when he became an adult he would be made second-in-command of the Organization. Xemnas had hinted to it more than once. No matter. If Axel, who wasn't one to give in to death, and Zexion were still in the castle, then Axel would finish off the teen for him. They were friends, had been friends since they were Somebodies. Things would stay that way and on track. There was something she had told him earlier about Vexen, something about Axel killing him. As long as she didn't mention it to anyone now, things would still work. Why she was covering for him was odd. She didn't seem to like him much, or anyone else for that matter. He would ask her on a later mission.

He led Jexa down another hallway and stopped in front of a wall. "Go in," he said. She understood and went inside Where Nothing Gathers. Xemnas was sitting high above.

She crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. "Hello Superior," she said respectively.

"Before we begin," he said. "I have found you a title."

"Alright."

He smiled contently. "The Prodigy of the Shadows."

Jexa drew back. "What?" She was sure she had heard it somewhere else before, but she couldn't remember where. The déjà vu caught her off guard.

His smile turned into one of curiosity. "Do you have a problem with it?"

She shook her head rapidly, eyes wide. "No, no Superior. I just, uh, I have no problem with it at all. I'm sorry for the, uh, misunderstanding. Can we start on the C.O briefing, please?"

Xemnas chuckled and nodded. "That would be best. What did you learn while you were there?"

Jexa relaxed a little. She wasn't comfortable around Xemnas to begin with and the mix up about the title had put her on edge. She had heard Nothing say it to her before. The sooner she was released the better. "Sora was Marluxia's pawn," she stated, getting right to the point. "After Namine replaced his memories, he was loyal to her, even after he learned what had happened and what was going on."

Xemnas rested his head on his fist. "What about the rest of the members who went to Castle Oblivion, and of the subjects?"

"All the members were eliminated, except for Axel and Zexion, maybe," she lied. Zexion was still alive. "I survived only because I didn't antagonize the Keyblade wielders. Sora and Riku made their way through with ease."

"And what of the Replica?"

She cleared her throat in an attempt to relax. "I didn't see much of it, but it was easy to influence and defensive."

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

She shrugged. "Tell it a few sweet words and it'll believe you and never change its mind." She suspected that was what Axel had done to get it to act the way it did. "Like I said, I didn't see much of it."

"I see," he said, frowning. Jexa hoped she wasn't the cause of his bad mood. He became calm again soon enough, though it wasn't much better than him annoyed. "Before you return to your room tonight, I want you to meet Xion, our newest member."

"Okay, I'll make sure to do that."

"Did you learn anything about Sora?"

She could almost smile. This was an example of how she would be able to keep up with the Organization's demands while meeting hers and Nothing's. "Yes. His heart guides him every which way, even if it was pointed in the wrong direction. Whatever DiZ tells him he will believe, I think. Riku is partial to DiZ, so Sora will like DiZ as well."

Xemnas straightened, eager to hear the rest of her recon. "And how does Riku complete this puzzle?"

"He and Sora are best friends, so either will do anything for the other. Riku wants to be free of his darkness."

Xemnas smiled one of his odd smiles. "Good. You are dismissed."

Jexa gave him a quick nod and left just as Saix entered. She let out a sigh of relief and left for the members' quarters. Along the way, she studied the castle, as there was nothing else to do. White, grey, lighter gray, the whole place was blank yet intricate. It was hard to imagine the whole place didn't truly exist, just like the Nobodies weren't supposed to. Everything about it was too real.

_Maybe we were never supposed to exist,_ she thought. _But if we really weren't supposed to exist, then we wouldn't. We must have a purpose_. The thought caught her off guard, but she knew that it agreed with her deepest beliefs. Everyone had a course through life, whether it be good or bad. She knocked off the act when she reached the first room. She knocked and opened the door cautiously.

"Hell-o, Xion?" There was no one in there, but the room was storm grey and dark. After a moment she realized it was Xaldin's room and closed the door quickly. It was a good thing he wasn't in there. He freaked her out, not like Xemnas did, but in a 'you're really odd and you throw spears at people,' kind of way.

The room next to it was filled with test tubes, microscopes, lab coats, and a great deal of other science equipment. Many of the experiments were hissing and bubbling in ways that did not sound good. She shut the door to Vexen's room as quickly as she did Xaldin's. Something exploded violently, setting off a chain reaction inside. Foul smelling smoke leaked from under the door. She ran away before anyone came to investigate.

The next room she opened she knew was Larxene's, but the Savage Nymph was dead and she was curious. It looked like an evil bumblebee's room, decorated all black and dark yellow. There were a bunch of electrical cords disconnected from their sources and shooting off sparks. On the beside table there was a Jacob's Ladder with a plate reading, 'Property of Vexen.' The closet was open with Demyx searching its insides. Jexa smirked. The fun she would have with this.

"Hey Demyx, what are _you_ doing here?" she said in her Larxene-voice.

"Waaah!" He grabbed the handle of the closet door and shut himself in. "Please don't electrocute me!" he half begged, half cried from inside. "I barely made it past your sparky things."

She wasn't about to drop the act. It was too much fun, plus she finally able to get her revenge for how he had upset her when she first joined. "What are you doing messing with my stuff Demyx?"

He whimpered. "I-I just want Mr. Fluffy back, please."

She fought the impulse to chuckle, taking a deep breath to restrain the fake emotion. Jexa picked up a piece of metal and went closer to an exposed cord. "So you want Mr. Fluffy back, huh?" She dropped the piece through the path of the sparks, making them go haywire. To Demyx, it sounded like Larxene was charging up.

"Please Larxene, I'll give you back your high heels, just let me go," he sobbed.

Jexa shoved another piece of metal near a cord on the floor. There was a whole box of scrap metal that probably had been used for just that purpose. "_You_ were the one who took them? Oh you're in for it now!" She stomped up to the door and turned the handle. It stuck, locked. There was no way to unlock it from the outside, oddly enough. Larxene definitely wouldn't do that, or maybe she would in order to protect her stuff. In any case, she would have to take a gamble in order to sound more Larxene-like. "Did you turn my handle around?"

"No, I swear!"

_Good_, _I can continue,_ she thought. _Someone must have turned it around while she was gone_. She rattled it some more and relished in his muffled sobs.

A girl with cropped, black hair stuck her head in the door. Jexa winked at her and put a finger to her lips, then turned her attention back to the scared Demyx. "Okay, let me get this straight. You broke into my room to get your stupid little toy back _and_ you stole my high heels." She stamped to the box of metal and threw another shard through the path of sparks. "You are so dead!"

She heard Demyx try to push father back in the closet and fall to the floor. "But- but, Saix said all the C.O guys died."

"Guess what?" She kicked the door. Demyx squeaked. "I'm not a guy!" She brought out her sword and started hacking at the hinges. The girl walked in to ask a question, but Jexa turned around and shook her head.

"Hold on," she mouthed, and then went back to destroying the door. All of the hinges fell off easily like they were designed to be that way. Someone had replaced them while Larxene was away as a joke, or a safety precaution in case something like the situation Demyx was in occurred. In any case, the door fell down to reveal Demyx with his hands over his eyes and a teddy bear in his lap. Jexa chuckled, got rid of her sword, and clasped his shoulder.

"Hey, Dem-Dem," she said normally.

His head snapped up, his mouth hanging open. "Wha- Wait, where's Larxene?"

She laughed and hauled him up by his arm. "Gone." She picked up his teddy bear and handed it to him. "Mr. Fluffy?" she giggled.

Demyx took it back and hugged it to his chest. "Larxene took him away before she left. I came to get him when Saix said everyone was gone. You really scared me when you came in here! How did you do that?"

She shrugged. "Change of voice, and let's not start that again. I'll have to do another round of revenge."

"That was revenge! For what?" She tilted her head and tapped her foot. He shook his head, then put his hands out defensively. "Not for the music!"

She grinned. "Yes for the music, but we're even now. That was fun. See you later Demyx." She went over to the black-haired girl. She had to be the new Organization member Axel said had joined the day they had left, and although Jexa was sure they had never met before, the girl was oddly familiar. "Name's Jexa. Your's?"

"Xion. I thought your name was Larxene."

Jexa had to absorb the information before she could understand the full humor of it. "Ha, no. If you knew Larxene you would realize why anyone else would see that as a joke. I was toying with Demyx to get equal with him. Anyway, I've been looking for you. Xemnas wanted me to see you."

Her eyes widened in a way Jexa had seen before in someone else, but she couldn't figure out whom. "Why?" Xion asked.

"I dunno. He just said to meet you before I turned in for the night." She paused. "Have I met you somewhere before?"

"I don't think so."

Demyx walked past the two girls and down to his room. Jexa watched him leave. "I should be going to bed. I'm dead tired. See you later Xion."

"Bye," Xion said, miffed. Had there been a specific reason why Xemnas had asked Jexa to meet her? Jexa hadn't seemed to care. It didn't really matter. Right now she needed to find her room, again. She had lost track of where it was. Now she had to keep knocking on doors until she found it. Hopefully Axel wouldn't catch her or she'd never hear the end of it.

Jexa searched her closet for a new cloak since Marluxia had ripped the one she had on. _Black coat, black coat, black coat, oh._ In the very back of the closet hung a different outfit, one comprised of a dark red tank top with a strange, swirling blue design on the bottom, a black jacket, and cut up blue jeans. There was a strap going across the top and the jacket with a sheath for her sword connected to it. On the jacket was a belt wrapped around the uppermost part of the left sleeve. It was a nice outfit, but she got the feeling she wasn't supposed to wear it unless she absolutely had to. She pulled out one of her other cloaks, set it aside for the next day, and threw the ripped one on the floor after much struggling to get it off. The double zipper made it torture.

She crashed on her bed and pulled the sheets up. Her sleep was a restless one. She couldn't get Xion's face out of her mind, the way she looked shocked, the exact blue color of her eyes, and the way her hair was cut. It was all so familiar, but she couldn't place it. For some reason, however, she didn't think she would be cozying up to the newest member any time soon. That familiarity brought about the premonition of a girl who was more than a little dramatic. Whatever. She had done enough worrying for a month. Jexa closed her eyes, letting her troubles float away. That was one perk of being a Nobody; you didn't have to spend sleepless nights worrying about nothing in particular. She drifted off into sweet, comforting darkness.


	8. What You Want Most

Jexa found that she was to go with Xaldin and learn the basics of recon the next morning. He glanced down at her and opened a portal.

"We will be going to Port Royal to do recon. I hope you are prepared, and do not slow me down."

"Okay, yes, and alright," she answered in order. Xaldin accepted her answers, although they were not as formal as he would have liked, and stepped through the door of darkness, Jexa following him.

They came out in a world with the smell of the sea on the wind, ships anchored by wooden docks, and nooses holding up dead men hanging from rocks. Cats ran into the packed shadows of buildings made of wood and stone, the only living beings other than the two Nobodies out on the streets. Jexa scanned the place as Xaldin, hood up, knocked on one of the doors. A child opened it and smiled at him before a spooked adult slammed the door in his face. The person chided his child and rushed out of hearing range.

Jexa waited for Xaldin to return before speaking. "Is something scaring them?" she asked. Xaldin, frowning like always, strode to another house and repeated the process. Again he was rejected. "Xaldin?"

"There is something here. What do you think?"

There weren't many Heartless wandering around, just a few Shadows creeping around in the darkest places. "Unless the Heartless are new here, they shouldn't be this frightened by them," she stated. "What else could be going on?"

He let out a long breath. It would be a long day. "If we knew we wouldn't be here."

The two went through the small town, their footsteps echoing through the streets. Occasionally someone would peer through their window out to the two newcomers, but not often. Heartless were scarce and the only Nobodies out were themselves. There were no marks on the walls showing signs of a fight between a person and a Heartless, but there were holes in some of the buildings.

"What happened here?" Jexa asked as they passed another place where a hole had been blown though a wall.

Xaldin didn't spare it any of his attention. "Since those ships in the harbor had cannons equipped, I would say these were done when a few flew into the town while there was a fight. It was a surprise attack, by the look of some of the ships in the harbor. None had cast off yet, so they were not prepared for whatever, or whoever, came."

Jexa nodded. That made sense. They walked for a while more, examining the shops and anything else worth of interest, including noting the fort on the hill, until they past a small shop, the only one with the window left open. A man with wavy, dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a goatee saw them going past and shot out the door.

"Wait!" he called after them. The hooded Nobodies turned around, curious as to whom this man was. "You'll catch your death out here."

"How so?" Jexa inquired. Xaldin shook his head slightly, but she wasn't paying attention to him.

"There's- you shouldn't be outside! Come in and I'll explain."

Xaldin put his hand on Jexa's shoulder before she could accept his offer. "My daughter and I have to be going. Thank you, but we can take care of ourselves."

She ducked out from under his hand and backed up towards the person. "Come on. Can't we stay for a few minutes? It would be good to _learn_ what the dangers are around here, _Father_."

Xaldin folded his hands behind his back and kept an eye on the stranger. He didn't trust those he had no information on. "We have no idea who he is or what his intentions are. Now come on. There are other ways to learn of places such as this one."

The man took a step forward, his eyes wide with alarm. "Please, I bear you no ill will. If you would like to know about Port Royal so much, then I'll tell you what you want to know."

He moved towards Jexa's side. "Fine, but only a few minutes. We have other places to be."

"Thank you," the man sighed. Jexa began following the man into his house, but Xaldin pulled her back.

"Do not speak too much. Let me do the talking," he whispered to her. "You don't have the necessary skills to imitate emotions the way normal people have them, or the knowledge to manipulate. Unless you have something to contribute, stay silent." Jexa nodded and hurried after the person, who was waiting anxiously inside for the two to join him. Xaldin entered less enthusiastically and sat down at a small table.

"You're a blacksmith?" Xaldin inquired, gesturing towards all of the swords made or in the process of being made. The man nodded, his eyes on Jexa as she took one off and sparred with an invisible enemy. He watched her, evaluating her form as she went.

"You're not bad," he said. "But if you held your sword like this-" He twisted her wrist slightly to the right. "You'll be able to defend yourself better."

"Thanks," she said, trying to add happiness to her voice.

He ate it up. "Sure. Do own a sword?"

She replaced the sword back on the wheel where many more were dangling. "Yes, but I didn't bring it. We weren't expecting any trouble here, were we Father?" She was becoming monotone and she knew it by the concern on his face.

Xaldin stopped tapping on the table but didn't raise his head. "That's correct." He stood up and extended his hand towards the man. "My name is Dilan. Yours?"

He took it and shook before letting it fall. "William, William Turner. What brings you to Port Royal, especially in a time like this?"

Xaldin sat back down in his chair and faced the window. "No particular reason. My daughter and I are just passing through, though you have made me curious as to what's happening."

Will sighed. "Have you seen the creatures that come out at night, the ones everyone's talking about? Yes? Well, those were bad enough without the pirates. They sailed here last night and kidnapped Elizabeth, the governor's daughter." He shuddered. "It turned out they were invincible. They were unmoving in the street, then a few hours later, came back alive."

Jexa yawned. "What's it to you? You're fine." Xaldin shook his head. That had been a mistake. Hopefully it could be salvaged before too much damage was done.

Will stared at her, appalled. "This is the governor's daughter, Elizabeth, who was captured by a group of undead pirates! Their ship is the one of legend, the Black Pearl, the fastest ship on the seven seas!" Jexa hesitated after his mini rant, giving Xaldin an opportunity to speak. She could tell he was smiling under his hood.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Will looked at him in confusion. "This girl, who is obviously important to you, has been captured by pirates who are impossible to catch and kill. What's your plan?"

A spark lighted in his eyes. "Jack Sparrow…" he murmured.

"Who?" Jexa said.

He took a sword off of the wheel and tossed it in his hands, giving it more spin each time he caught it. "Jack Sparrow, the worst, if not the best, pirate that ever lived. He's in jail at the moment, but I can spring him without anyone noticing." He began to look alarmed. "I-I can explain myself. Don't tell anyone."

Jexa chuckled. "Like Father said, we're just passing through. We're not going to go out of our way to rat you out." She turned to Xaldin. "Do you think we should be going now?"

He headed towards the door. "Yes, that would be best. Goodbye Turner."

"Wait, you can't leave!" he protested, but the two were already out the door and gone, invisible in the darkness. Will tried to find them, but to no avail. He gave up and went back inside, wondering what just happened and where they went.

The two had gone to the fort on the hill and now stood in the center, but no one took notice. Jexa stood stiff, ready to pull out her sword and fight, but Xaldin merely shook his head and passed all the men in red uniforms.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "You're going to be seen!"

He motioned for her to follow. "They are not important to us, therefore we are not important to them. If they notice us they will disregard us as shadows while we are fully cloaked, unless they have some importance to the Organization or us. Only then will they see us."

A guard's gaze lazily passed over Jexa before snapping back to where she stood. "I don't know about you, but your theory isn't working out too well," she said nervously, a few Shadows creating a puddle of darkness beneath her feet in case the men needed to be dealt with.

Xaldin kept going unnoticed, even when he passed right in front of a guard. The man blinked in rapid succession and then returned to his boredom. "You are obviously going to be more important here than I will. Run before they see you."

"What?" Nobody in the Organization ran.

Xaldin looked down from the stairs, staring at her like she was an idiot. "Run."

Jexa stole a glance of the guns the men were carrying and the guy who was loading his. There was no time to debate what the right course of action was with Xaldin. She slipped through the Shadow puddle and onto the floor below with an undignified 'oomf'. "Oh sure, they can't see you. How did that work out?" she grumbled to herself, getting the resentment out of her system. Someone sat up behind her. She froze. _Not this again_.

"Where the bloody hell did you come from?" The person was a man with an accent she couldn't place, but in the long run it didn't matter. He shouldn't have been able to see her. She summoned her sword, the dark sparks going unnoticed in the shadows, and stood without revealing her weapon. The guy had a red bandana with a coin hanging from it on his head. His dress was lax to say the least and it screamed of being outcast, or at least a different life than the one Turner lived. Either he was tan or filthy, or perhaps a little of both.

"Who're you?" she asked.

He draped an arm over his knee. What an oddity. Everyone knew who he was since he had been put in jail. "Since you asked, I'm the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Now, where did you come from, and what's with that, coat-thingy?" Jexa gave him an odd face, although he couldn't see it since her hood was still on. So he was the Jack Sparrow Will needed to save his girl. He didn't look like much, especially in a prison cell, but it would be better to be safe than sorry.

"The coat-thingy is what we wear," she stated matter-of-factly. "And who 'we' are I'm not saying. I think it's pretty obvious where I came from, which would be up there." She pointed towards the ceiling, Jack following her direction. His brow furrowed in concentration.

"The door is locked and the yard's full of those blasted Navy buggers. How did you get past?"

She shrugged. All of the emotions he displayed were beginning to overwhelm her, and his erratic hand gestures were making things worse. "Trade secret."

Jack smiled. "Care to share?"

"No."

His face fell and he sank back into the straw on the floor, to Jexa's relief. "I guess the question now is why you're here." By his tone she thought he was bored, but without a heart it was sort of hard to tell.

She decided to be honest. It was easier than making and keeping up a story. "To learn about Port Royal."

He studied his nails and hands. "Judging by the fact that you're down here and not up there, I would say this is more than a passing fancy."

"Yes."

"Are you going to be attacking this most _wonderful_ port?"

"_May_-be. Maybe not."

He smirked. "Then it is my civic duty not to tell you anything." Jexa's grip on her sword tightened in readiness to slip through the bars and threaten the information out of Sparrow. "Then again," he added. "I'm a pirate, not a bloody civilian, so it wouldn't be against any code I have to tell you something."

"There's a catch isn't there?" she said, wary.

He shook his head, an action more like rubbing it side to side on the floor. "Come on love, I'm a pirate, not the ruddy Trading Company, though it would be nice if you let me out. They sent the doggy and the keys home after I escaped the first time."

She wasn't sure if she even could get him out, but if that was what he wanted and he could be useful, then she would find a way. In the mean time, she would keep it just out of reach. "Tell me a few things first and I'll think about it."

Jack put his hands under his head. "At least you could give me my things, there, right there." He pointed with his foot towards the stack of belongings behind her. Jexa pawed through it, finding a hat, a belt with an odd compass, and a gun. She picked up the rusted pistol, wondering how hard it would be to fight with it. "Careful with that," he warned.

"I'm not going to shoot anyone," she muttered, but set it down nonetheless. She picked up the compass and opened it, expecting it to point to North, and saw the needle spinning around and around. Jack had moved to the front of his cell while she looked through his things and was watching what she was doing, amused.

"Do you know what that is?" he asked.

She shook the thing. "A broken compass. Someone damaged your stuff."

He smiled. "Not exactly, and they better not have. Here." He held his hand out for the compass and Jexa handed it to him. The needle swiveled left and right before settling on a position that still wasn't north. Jack waited for a few seconds to build up suspense that Jexa wasn't feeling before speaking. "It points to what you want most."

She regarded the direction. "Where's it pointing?"

Jack shut it and passed it back. "The exit." He went over to the hole in the wall that wasn't quite big enough to squeeze through. "Though you've made me curious. What do you _think_ you want most?"

Jexa lowered her head and sent her sword away. "What do _I_ want most? I dunno. There are plenty of things I have to do and things I can make choices on, but as for what I want…" She paused. "Does that thing have anything to do with what your heart wants?"

"Beyond me, love. Go ask Tiodoma."

Jexa slid down the wall and put the compass back. "Fine. Mind telling me why you're the only person in here?"

He rattled the bars separating him from the next cell. "A cannon ball blasted the wall out here and everyone else escaped."

She nodded. "The night the pirates came."

Jack gritted his teeth. "Yes, and that traitorous scum Barbosa."

"Oh?"

"He stole the Black Pearl and left me on a godforsaken island to die."

She yawned. "Very sorry," she said dryly. "So you're not a captain? You don't have a ship."

He chuckled, grinning madly. "Oh no, love, the Pearl is mine. Barbosa better have taken care of her, because I'm not that easy to steal from."

Jexa began to mold into the shadows. "Sooner than you think."

"And that would mean what exactly?" Jack glanced at where she had been a moment before to find out why she wasn't answering him, seeing only shadows. "Aye, you said you would let me out o' here!" he shouted. He fumed for a minute before becoming confused. Where had she gone? If she had gone up the stairs and out the door, he would have heard it slam. There was nowhere else to go down in the jail unless she had ran down the hall and into a separate part, in which case he also would have heard her. It was something that needed to be asked and answered when he met her again. The tasks that could be performed with the power to slip past anyone would be limitless. It was too bad she had left before he had time to talk her into being a pirate. Jack sat against the wall and stared at the stairway, slowly falling to sleep.

Jexa stumbled out of the shadows outside the fort to wait for Xaldin. It had been the first time she had tried moving from one place to another while sitting down and she decided she would do it only if she absolutely had to. Xaldin came back after fifteen long minutes, to Jexa's relief. There had been nothing to do and she had forgotten how awful being bored was. She stopped chucking her sword into the night and waved to him. "So what was there to see in the grand fort I couldn't explore?" she joked, hefting her summoned sword. Xaldin folded his arms, serene as ever.

"Tell me what was below," he replied. She sighed melodramatically and held her arms out in a 'oh come on' gesture. When he didn't react she calmed down, a little embarrassed.

"Jack Sparrow was down there. He has a compass that points to what someone wants most and a bunch of other stuff that's highly important to him for no apparent reason. He wants his ship, the Black Peal, back from some guy named Barbosa, and the crew of the Pearl are all undead pirates at the moment," she reported, the last part being her darkness' own contribution. She filed it under, 'interesting but unimportant,' in her mind.

"So it was this Pearl that attacked Port Royal," Xaldin mused. "Intriguing. Tell me, how strong did Sparrow's will seem to you?"

"I don't know really. He seemed determined to get his boat back, if that counts for anything."

"Anything else?"

"Not really."

"What a waste." He opened a portal back to the castle. "It would be hard to control something like that. Luxord can have control of this world. He has been complaining he hasn't had enough to do. Maybe he can find something useful." He slipped through the darkness while Jexa wondered whether or not he had just insulted her. Most of what Xaldin said had been stated in halves, so she pushed it away and opened her own Corridor to Hollow Bastion. She opened the door to Zexion's house to find him asleep on his bed. After a quick check to make sure that both of his wounds were healing she left him to his nap and went back to the Castle.

Xaldin stood talking to Saix when she returned. When he saw her enter he motioned for her to join them.

"Go tell Luxord he has been given a world, Port Royal. He has jurisdiction over that place," Xaldin informed her. "Go before the Superior changes his mind." Before she could ask why he couldn't be told when he received his mission or how they had gotten to the Superior so quickly, Xaldin had returned to his conversation with Saix. She did not feel like being stabbed by Xaldin or rebuked by her mentor, so she cast out the confusion and the anger and went down to Luxord's room. Once she reached his door, she knocked and heard a 'come in'.

"Hey Luxord, I- ah, is there something wrong?" He had one giant card aimed at her and four regular-sized ones in his hand ready to deploy.

"I would appreciate it if you moved out of the doorway," he asked politely. Jexa obliged, quickly skirting into his room before he shut the door by throwing a card into the very edge. He shrunk the giant card down to normal size and retrieved the one stuck in the door.

"I must apologize for my abrupt behavior," he said as he began to set up a game on his desk. "Xigbar and I are having a feud at the moment. I believe you have just finished your own with Demyx, so you know how time consuming one can be and how cautious you must behave."

Jexa walked over to watch what he was doing with the cards. "Not exactly. Mostly he hid and I remembered what he had done when I saw a way to get back at him."

Luxord chuckled. "Play a trick on someone with craft and you'll encounter a whole different side of the Organization." He swept all the cards into a pile, shuffled, and set the deck down. "So, have you ever played War?"

"I think so. You put cards with bigger numbers on top of the center deck as fast as you can, right?"

Luxord nodded. "That's right. How about a game?"

"No thanks. I don't think I ever won at that." There were fuzzy memories of frustration brought on by constant losing at cards back when she was a Somebody.

"Pity. A different game then?"

"The only game I ever was any good at was Go Fish," she joked.

Luxord placed seven cards in front of her and seven for him. "Go Fish it is then. I'm not trying to coddle you, Fourteen," he added when he saw the look on her face. "I'm just trying to give you a fighting chance. Can you live with that?"

She picked up her cards and color-coded them in hopes of finding a pair, but no such luck. "Unless I die in the process, sure. Any Yellow Opera?" All the cards' pictures were of Heartless.

"You've developed a dreadful case of sarcasm," he chided. "Go Fish."

For the next half hour they played Go Fish, every time Jexa nearly winning until Luxord pulled a quick recovery. On the fifth time she folded her cards and leaned back in the chair Luxord had brought out for her just as he began to win again.

"I give," she grumbled. "You win. Again."

He smiled innocently and shuffled the deck. "Would you like to play another round?"

Jexa slid back. "No thanks. I'll cut my losses." Luxord shrugged and began setting up a game a Solitaire. Before she walked out the door, she remembered she had been sent to his room for a reason. "You've been assigned, or given, or whatever you call it, a world. It's called Port Royal."

Luxord sighed. "In all honesty, I was hoping for Wonderland, but when Lady Luck does not smile upon us, we must make do with what is fortunate instead of focusing on our misfortune. Wouldn't you agree?"

By the time he reached the part about 'Lady Luck' Jexa was lost. "Whatever you say Lux." She left the room quietly to go to bed.

Axel barred her entrance when Jexa came to her door. He leaned against it, blocking anyone from entering or leaving.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she snapped. "It's late, and I'd like to go to sleep." He had tried to kill Zexion, making him a traitor, but if she told anyone or tried to kill him, it was his word against hers, not exactly favorable odds. The only way they would believe her was if she brought Zexion back, but then he was fair game again.

He shrugged. "Just wanted to know where you ran off to during the C.O mission." His voice had that dangerous tone she had heard during C.O when he tried to kill the other members.

"Why were you looking?" she countered.

"There were two angry Keyblade masters on the loose that had killed other members. We didn't need any more losses."

"I went to Destiny Islands," she lied.

Axel didn't buy it. "Oh? Why were you there?"

"To meet Kairi. I wanted to know what made her so special. Really, I saw nothing great about her."

Axel moved directly in front of her so she had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. "And what sparked this sudden interest?"

"I saw Sora talking to Riku and then to Namine. I knew about them, so I wanted to know about Kairi."

"Who told you about Kairi?"

"Namine."

He backed off. "As long as you didn't come to any harm. Like I said, we don't need to suffer any more losses."

There couldn't be a better example of a double meaning and it wasn't lost on Jexa. "Of course. I'll talk to you later."

Axel nodded. "Sure, why not? Good night, Jexa. Sleep well."

"Same," she muttered, glaring at him as she left. In no shape or form did she trust him. He was simply too erratic and unpredictable to be able to count on him for anything. Zexion had known him longer than she had, so perhaps he knew something Axel could be counted on to do, good or bad.

The next day, Jexa woke up with a minor headache from a dream she could not remember, a fact that made her irritable. Saix had her wait in the Grey Area until everyone else had left. Xigbar was late checking in, probably on purpose, earning him a day with Demyx since Saix was not in a pleasant mood either. Finally, they were able to leave.

The world Saix had chosen was Agrabah. They were outside a huge set of gates in the full glare of the sun standing on sand that reflected heat like a mirror. Jexa stiffened from the stifling heat. Black coats were not meant for the desert. Saix didn't seem to notice the temperature difference. The amount of light flowing into the square was not helping soothe Jexa's discomfort.

"Today you will be learning how to do different tasks," Saix said, sounding very bored. "First, summon a Heartless."

Jexa looked at him blankly and pulled one up. "'Kay."

"Now summon a Dusk."

Her brow furrowed. "A Dusk?" She thought about summoning one and one appeared.

_Mistress, what is your command?_ it asked.

"Uh…" She glanced at Saix.

"Answer it."

_Nothing. It was an evaluation,_ she thought. The Dusk gave her a jittery nod and disappeared.

"Low-ranking Nobodies can be used for many different sorts of things, limited reconnaissance, messengers, fights, the possibilities are limited to the type of Nobody you choose. Learning all the different types will be important." He paused and sighed. Teaching was boring. Why couldn't Xemnas apply him to another task, even if this Nobody held special abilities?

"We will have to decide where your strengths lie, either in magic or combat in battle and what you will do best in the field," he said after the pause. "Demyx could take you on a recon mission tomorrow, Xaldin could teach you about infiltration, Luxord could show you strategy, and I could evaluate your skills in attack, defense, and magic."

While Saix lectured, Jexa shifted into the shade of a building and put her hood up. The hood made the heat worse, but at least it cut down on the amount of light. Saix watched her recede with annoyance.

"You will have to come back into the light sooner or later."

She lowered her head. "The light's too bright here. I can live in the shadows." Hopefully he wouldn't make her come out if she wasn't acting defiant.

"One day we won't have to live in the shadows anymore."

"We are shadows Saix. Where else can we go but to the darkness?"

He slashed a Heartless and watched the dim, captured heart to fly away. "Heartless die and come back, unless felled by the Keyblade. Then they collate to become Kingdom Hearts. Once it is complete, we won't have to live in the darkness anymore."

Jexa looked up to see the longing in Saix's eyes. There was no pity in hers. "You're living on a prayer. How do we know what exactly happens when Kingdom Hearts is finished?"

"It has to," he said quickly. "We have to get our hearts back." Xemnas never explained that to him, so he hid it in the recesses of his mind. Now she had brought it and the old doubts back up.

Jexa shrugged and waited for his next command. It didn't come. He left for the castle soon after their conversation. Left with the rest of the day, Jexa went to Hollow Bastion to visit Zexion. She came a street away from his house as so not to startle him.

"Zexion," she said, opening the door to his place. "Hey, Saix let me go early, so I-" She stopped short at the sight of him. He was paler than normal and his face was beaded with sweat.

"That isn't, like Saix," he gasped. He tried to force a smile with false hopes to deceive her, but it required too much effort to keep up.

Jexa sat down on the side of his bed. "Where did Riku stab you Zexion?"

He arched his head and groaned. "Where did you, take me yesterday, before here? I want to know."

She squeezed his arm, remembering what the darkness from Riku's sword had been like. He winced and made a weak attempt to pull her off. It didn't loosen her hold an inch. "Zexion, listen to me. Where did he hit you?"

He motioned from where Nothing had pulled the darkness out all the way across to his left side with his other hand. "And half, of my back."

She drew in a sharp breath. "I need to take a look." Zexion nodded reluctantly. Jexa halfway unzipped his coat to reveal a bruise on his stomach and writhing darkness in his side. "Roll over." Once he did, she saw more of the same. Sighing, she gave him four pills. He looked at her suspiciously.

"What-?"

"You'll need to be out cold," she explained. "It might make you feel worse when you wake up, but it'll keep you from feeling anything for the time."

Zexion took the pills and closed his eyes. Jexa brought him a glass a water to swallow them with. He shifted to try to get more comfortable, managing to create more pain for himself.

"What are you going to do?" he mumbled.

"Take the darkness out," she sighed.

He clenched his fist. "You make it sound like something you should not be doing."

She played with her bangs. "I don't want to do it, but if I don't, I don't think you'll get any better."

Zexion sighed. "None of this would have happened if I didn't antagonize Riku."

She stood up and walked into the shadows. "Axel would have found a different way to kill you," she said as she faded into the darkness.

"Yes, but-" He stopped when he could no longer smell her. Somehow she had left without him hearing. When he went back to the Organization, he would have to tell his superiors about her ability.

Jexa arrived in the Dark, wanting to ask Nothing about how exactly he healed Zexion and took out the darkness. Nothing waited for her in what was the center of the Dark. Behind the edges of the Dark, she could see creatures ebbing and flowing, all trying to get in and failing. Nothing reached into the ground and pet one of the creatures until Jexa was right next to him.

"What is it dearest?" Nothing asked as he straightened up.

"How did you heal Zexion exactly?"

He chuckled and went back to stroking the dark creature. "Use your darkness, this incessantly annoying creature, to start off. You shall need shadow around your hand to draw out darkness and to heal. You will figure the rest out as you go."

Jexa shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously. "You're sure that'll work? It isn't going to hurt him, right?"

He tapped a finger against his side impatiently. "Yes, it will work. He will be fine. Go back to Hollow Bastion. Zexion is already asleep."

Jexa nodded and left. Zexion was out cold on the bed when she came in, his face somewhat peaceful. She knew that all the peace he had collected while she had left was going to be ripped away shortly.

"If I ever find Riku," she said while reaching for her darkness. "I'll kill him, slowly and painfully."

Underneath her hand, her darkness provided her with some insight on how to help Zexion. To start off, Jexa placed her hand in a dark corner and had the darkness stick to it. Making it stay was harder than Nothing had made it look when he healed Zexion earlier. Every time she went back into the main room it would slip off and melt into the floor. After several attempts, she had it solidify around her hand to fit like a glove instead of being more like running water. Zexion's cloak was still half off, so she didn't have to unzip it again. The darkness was just as bad as when she had left.

"Sorry Zex," she mumbled as she pressed her hand to his side. He shifted in his drug-induced sleep. The darkness in Jexa's head told her to link the darkness in his side to the darkness on her hand. She did as she was told, then pulled up. Zexion let out a few muffled cries from the way it was drawn out. Every last atom of Riku's sickness clung to Zexion's skin with a beastly manner, reluctant to give any ground, never mind breaking away. Jexa tugged and it lashed out at her.

_Come on,_ she thought in irritation and desperation. _Why won't you come out?_

_ Because,_ a high-pitched, hissing voice responded. _We were used to kill. We will kill._

Jexa backed up a little. Whatever the darkness was, it was intelligent and meant to kill. Those two components combined never led to good odds.

_Why do you want to kill my friend?_ she asked.

The darkness writhed, making Zexion wince. _Our master wanted us to. We must unless he tells us to cease._

_ That's not fair to my friend. He deserves to live._

_ Our master thought not. This one was struck with the dark blade and so marked with us. Our master is the best and therefore we obey him for eternity._

Jexa got an idea. _You mean Riku, right?_

_ The dark Keyblade master? That is correct._

_ Ha! He is you master? Some master he is. I defeated him in less than a minute, less than half a minute really._

Zexion screamed as the darkness leaped up at her in protest. _You lie!_

Jexa did her best to ignore his pain. _I'm telling the truth. I can control anyone who has a great amount of darkness inside them. Riku fits the bill._

_ This does not make you better._

_ I have a more prominent, accepted darkness. I am stronger than he is. I'm smarter than he is. How am I not better?_

The darkness settled into Zexion further, unsettling Jexa. _He can use the Keyblade._

_ So what? I can use a sword no one else can._

_ It is the Keyblade, a sign of a strong heart._

_ But not of a strong mind or body. A person can make do without a heart. I'm proof of that. Besides, when I had a heart, it was strong as well, else I wouldn't be a Nobody._

It rustled with unease, almost like a person would pace. Zexion moaned. _Very well, you may give us one command, as you have defeated our master once and are slightly superior. We can see it in your mind. What is it that you want of us?_

Jexa sighed with relief. _Come out of Zexion_.

The dark mass slowly slid out of Zexion and onto the sheets. Upon touching the light, it disintegrated and faded into a normal shadow. Zexion relaxed and sank into the bed.

"That couldn't have gotten any easier," Jexa muttered. She discarded the darkness around her hand in case any of the infectious darkness was in it and put a new coating on. It took ten minutes to stanch the bleeding and cover the wound up. Somehow, Nothing had created a new layer of skin while taking the darkness out. However he did it, it involved a lot of pain for Zexion, so Jexa preferred her own method. After she was sure the cut wasn't going to open again, she put his arm back in his sleeve and zipped up his coat. She wrote him a note stating how he was better but should still stay hidden because he wasn't fully healed, an excuse, and then left for The Castle That Never Was.


	9. Losing Battles

When she reached the Grey Area, Saix was nowhere in sight. Since Saix was with her on her mission and ditched her, it didn't really matter if she wasn't able to report. Besides, it would be his fault if he wanted a report later and didn't get one. On her way out, Roxas and Axel appeared on the other side of the room. Axel seemed slightly amused while Roxas was smiling broadly.

Jexa turned to look at them. "Hello Axel. We should finish the conversation we started last night tomorrow, perhaps later today if I find time. I'm interested as to where it'll go."

Axel nodded grimly in response while Roxas stared at her in disbelief. "You mean you didn't tell me he was alive?" the blonde said.

Jexa shrugged. "Since I don't remember it and you don't remember it, I would say didn't."

"I'm going to find Saix," Axel said as he left the room. He stopped near Jexa momentarily and bent to whisper in her ear. "Good luck," he said to her quietly enough so Number XIII wouldn't hear. Jexa tried to follow to get away from Roxas, as whatever Axel was wishing her luck against had to be bad, but the kid ran after her and walked beside her. She avoided his gaze as he fell in step. He had the same look Sora had when he wanted something answered. Jexa remembered the way the blockhead absorbed information and dreaded explaining to Roxas.

"I was worried sick and you didn't tell me Axel survived C.O."

"Neat trick there, being worried sick, considering you don't have a heart," Jexa teased, avoiding the topic.

Roxas ground his teeth together. "You know what I mean. Why didn't you tell me Axel was alive?"

Jexa shrugged. The fact that Axel had wished her luck for no reason she could figure out was a more interesting issues than Roxas' fascination with Axel's whereabouts. She thought he liked Roxas, so shouldn't he want to warn Roxas of any concerns instead telling her to beware of him? "You didn't ask. If you came to my room yesterday I would have told you. I didn't even know he hadn't checked in."

"How could you not know I wanted to know?"

"What do you take me for, a psychic?" Jexa snapped, unsure of what Roxas knew. He could have overhead a number of things. She sped up to ditch him.

He walked faster his pace to keep up, proving he was just as dense and clueless to social cues as other Keyblade wielders. "I dunno. I thought you knew though."

Jexa stopped at her room and glared at Roxas. "I may seem to know everything Roxas," she said curtly. "But I don't, okay? Now keep your nose out of other people's business!" She opened her door and slammed it in his face, leaving him very confused.

Jexa sat down on her bed and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. How many other people knew about her ability? Axel might have guessed and told Roxas, but there was no one else who should know. It wasn't even like Axel to share things with others if he wasn't sure about them, and she hadn't spent enough time with anyone else. The darkness had no answers about how many Nobodies were in on the secret. If the others knew, she couldn't care less, but if Xemnas knew, then she was sunk. He would beat her within an inch of her life for not telling him whatever the other members had figured out and then demand information on the Keyblade wielders. There was nothing she could do if he knew, though. After releasing the darkness, which she had forgotten to let go after healing Zexion, creating exhaustion beyond belief, she curled up under the covers and went to sleep.

A large splash of water woke her up the next morning. Jexa instinctually reached for her darkness and took control of the perpetrator, who turned out to be Demyx. He was standing in the hall watching her with a look of horror plastered on his face, a fact that annoyed her even more, if that was possible in her current state.

"You," she growled.

Demyx tried to move and found out what each of Jexa's other victims discovered, which was they couldn't do anything. In desperation, he yelled, "Xigbar!" Most likely he would be ridiculed instead of helped, but Xigbar was the only one he hadn't drenched yet. It had probably been a bad idea to make almost everyone else mad before waking up the Nobody who hated him the most.

Jexa touched her wet hair and shook a soaked sleeve. "Demyx," she said in a dangerously calm voice. "You're going to pay for this."

"Xigbar, help me!" Demyx screamed.

"As. If," came the muted, drawn-out reply from the next room.

Jexa got out of bed and summoned her sword. "I was asleep Demyx and now I'm not. I am not happy about that."

Demyx made a great effort to strum one of the strings on his sitar and did, thanks to the fact that Jexa wasn't fully alert. A few Dancer Nobodies appeared at his call. "Xigbar-ha-arr!" he whined pathetically.

"You're just not gonna let me sleep, are ya Demyx?" He warped out into the hall looking annoyed, but his expression changed to a more amused form when he saw the situation. He warped to the ceiling and stayed there. Jexa hadn't noticed he had come on the scene and kept fighting the Nobodies.

He watched for a few minutes and began to become bored. "Aww come on! Can't you fight at all?" Xigbar taunted.

Startled by his voice, Jexa lowered her guard and looked around wildly, an opportunity one of the Dancers exploited. It whacked her in the jaw and cut her face from her jaw to her cheek. Demyx watched, absolutely terrified of what he imagined her doing to her because of the injury. Instead of taking her anger out on Demyx, Jexa let him go and captured Xigbar. The Melodious Nocturne breathed a sigh of relief and ran to the Grey Room to tell Saix he had gotten everyone up, more to get away from the others than anything else. He hadn't woken everyone up exactly, as Roxas and Axel were still asleep, but he had given it his all.

Jexa smirked and pointed at Xigbar. "Down," she barked. He unstuck from the ceiling and fell, landing with a sickening thud. Jexa snickered and followed Demyx to the Grey Area, stopping by Axel's room to warm up and let her clothes dry. He had turned up the temperature to a dry one hundred degrees Fahrenheit after being splashed. After standing in the center of his room for five minutes and becoming perfectly dry, she left, changed into a cloak in her room, and went to see Saix.

By the time she reached the Grey Area, Demyx was sulking back to the member's quarters.

"Why won't they get alarm clocks?" Jexa her him mutter as she past him. "Roxas is going to blind me and Axel'll burn me. This is just great." She chuckled, amused by his misfortune, and went up to Saix.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked cheerfully.

He thought about her tone before answering. "Demyx woke you, right?"

"Yep."

His eyes narrowed. "Then why are you being positive?"

Jexa grinned widely. "Because I gave Xigbar a concussion."

Saix pinched the bridge of nose and left while grumbling about something. He came back fifteen minutes later, by which time Luxord, Xaldin, and a drenched Roxas had entered the room. Jexa's good mood had been wiped away by Xaldin's ticked off aura. In no shape or form did she want to get on his bad side any time soon. She had heard from Xigbar that he had six spears and was never happy with anyone, and she remembered Saix's memo about how he would shish kabob anyone who got on his nerves. When Saix got organized, he handed out the slips of paper with the requirements for the missions to each of them. Luxord and Xaldin left through different portals while Roxas stayed and begged Saix for a different world.

"Can't I go to Agrabah? Demyx soaked me. I'll freeze in Halloween Town."

Saix shook his head. "Demyx reported a large number of Heartless in Halloween Town yesterday. You need to collect hearts there, not Agrabah. If I find you went to Agrabah for even a second, I'll have you scrubbing floors for a week."

"But that's Dusk work."

"If that will concern you, I can have Xemnas turn you into a Dusk for the time being."

Jexa tried very hard not to laugh while Roxas whined. "Come on Saix. It's always fall there. I'll be an ice cube by the time I finish. No way can I collect hearts-"

Saix opened a portal and grabbed Roxas by the back of the neck, nearly going berserk. "You _will_ collect hearts and complete Kingdom Hearts! Now go!" He threw Roxas through the portal and then closed it. Jexa covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile, giggling a little bit.

"Can I do that later?" she asked hopefully.

"No," Saix growled, shoving her through a new portal. Jexa tumbled out to find herself in Twilight Town. Saix walked out as if nothing has happened.

She surveyed the area. "Can we go to the plaza?"

"No."

"Oh…Can we go to the mansion?"

"No! We're-"

"How about we leave here and go to Neverland? You can fly there!"

Saix looked down at her to see her smiling madly and tapping her fingers on the ground in an erratic pattern. "No… Who gave you sugar?"

"Sugar? I like sugar."

"Yes, sugar," he snapped, annoyed with her behavior. "I don't care if you like it or not, just tell me who gave it to you."

She jumped up and began jumping from side to side. "Roxas let me have a Mountain Dew," she said quickly. "I like Mountain Dew, and Pixie Sticks."

"Who gave you a Pixie Stick?" he asked. A ban on sugars would have to be considered when he went back if this was the effect it had on Nobodies.

"Roxas has a lot of candy," she said dreamily.

"Ugh. Where does he store all of this?"

Somehow, Jexa managed to shrug while bouncing. "I dunno. He pulled it out of thin air when I wasn't looking." Her eyes lit up after she thought about it for a moment. "I know now! We defy the laws of physics! We are invincible!" She threw her hands up Xemnas-style for dramatic effect.

Saix shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Let me eat more sugar?" she asked.

"NO!"

Jexa hung her head and stopped bouncing. She pulled a mass of sodas and candies from behind her back. "But I have all of this."

Saix looked at the pile wide-eyed. "Where did you get all that?"

"Roxas."

"No, where did you pull it from?"

She put it back and tilted her head. "I don't know…" All of a sudden, she started singing the doom song to the carmelldansen tune.

"Don't sing. Stop being hyper," Saix ordered, gritting his teeth.

"No!" Jexa laughed, then ran away to the other end of the plaza. "Let's do an endurance test! First one to the mansion and back wins!"

Saix opened his mouth to protest, but realized it was the only thing he could get her to do with any efficiency. Just as he was about to follow her, he noticed a dark red patch on the ground a few feet away that looked a lot like Nobody blood. Nobodies had darkness infused in their veins to keep their blood flowing since they didn't have hearts, but the patch on the ground seemed too dark. He shifted his gaze towards the black-haired Nobody on the other end of the plaza, who indeed had a gash running down the left side of her face. He went over to her and examined the wound more thoroughly.

"How did I miss this?" he said softly, tilting her cheek up. It was about as long as half a pencil and still bleeding unusually dark Nobody blood.

Jexa shrugged. "Everyone missed it. I was going to tell you since I didn't want to tell anyone while Xaldin was standing around, then I forgot once I began to get a sugar high. FYI: I'm still on my high. OMG that rhymed, lol."

Forgetfulness and loss of sanity, those were two more reasons why sugars should be banned. Saix opened a portal and ushered her through it. He pushed the sugar topic to the back of his mind, vowing to inform Xemnas of the problems caused instead of obsessing over it. They came out in a small room smelling strongly of disinfectant. There was a table doubling as a cabinet on one end with various medical supplies in clear drawers on the other side of the room. Jexa scanned the room quickly while Number VII took out a box from one of the clear drawers.

"Sit down over there," he ordered, indicating the metal table-cabinet as he dug through the box. Jexa obediently went over to the table and waited, tapping a steady rhythm on the shiny surface with two fingers. The whole room made her slightly uneasy, and the faint bloodstains scattered across the floor didn't help any. Some of them didn't seem dark enough to be Nobody-type blood, even if they had faded or been scrubbed, with other splotches showing signs of previous struggles. It was hard to tell whether resisting help because of severe pain or resisting mutilation caused the struggling.

Once he was finished arranging the supplies the way he wanted them, Saix began cleaning up Jexa's cut. "Vexen should be doing this," he muttered. "He was the doctor. This place doubled as his lab if he blew his room apart. It happened often, so there was almost always experiments going in here."

_I'm glad he's gone then. He creeped me out. So, if this was his lab, then, no, I don't think I want to know,_ she thought while she waited for his next comment.

He wiped off some caked-on blood with an alcohol wipe, folding it smaller and smaller with each pass. The cut wasn't as bad as it looked at first glance, but it was deep enough to be worrisome. "How exactly did you get this?"

"A Dancer hit me," she said, rather bored. She wanted to be back at the plaza where she could run and keep being hyper. The sugar still coursed through her veins.

"You would get hurt by something as ridiculous as that," he grumbled, placing the used square in the garbage and getting out a small container full of green liquid. "What did you do to make it attack you?"

Jexa shrugged. "Long story short, Demyx soaked me, I prepared to attack Demyx, the Dancers came, Xigbar came, I fought the Dancers, Xigbar distracted me, I got cut, I gave Xigbar a headache." She eyed the bottle suspiciously. "What are you going to do with that?"

"It's a potion. A little of this and your cut will be half healed. The skin will grow back, but it will still tear fairly easily for two or three days, so try to stay out of a fight for a short period of time."

Jexa remembered the potion she made with Vexen and fleetingly touched her pocket. She left it back in her closet, so luckily she didn't have to worry about it now. "But only half of that would be enough to heal me completely, not that I'm planning to get into a fight or anything."

Saix nodded. He wouldn't have been so relaxed if he had seen what she had done. "True, but we're unable to be as liberal with our potions as the Keyblade wielders. Once in awhile we're able to find one or convince someone to sell one to us, but not often enough to give them away." He poured some of the green liquid onto a pad and lightly brushed the cut. Almost immediately the flesh began to pull together and the blood stopped, but the limited amount of medicine prevented it from healing all the way. The sensation of skin pulling back over tissue was disturbing. Saix put a bandage over the half-healed wound and opened a portal back to Twilight Town. Jexa ran through the portal at full speed and began jumping again when she reached the town. Once he came out of the portal, Saix put a hand on her head and forced her to stand still. One glare caused her to stop her hyperness, but both knew it was barely contained.

"I thought you were over this," Saix said, trying to maintain his calm.

"You're deaf, aren't you Sai?" She laughed and ducked out from under his hand, pointing over the balcony towards the forest. "To the mansion!" After running halfway through the square she passed out, landing on her face. Her sugar high had finally run out.

Saix shook his head and walked up to her. If she had opened up the cut again, he would have to use more of the potion to heal it back up in order to prevent infection and speed up the recovery to a reasonable pace, since it was deep as it was. Any more of the potion used up would mean no more for the month, so the gashes Axel and Demyx usually sustained by the end of the week couldn't be treated. Xemnas had been very clear about the ration set up.

Luckily for Saix, Jexa's cut was fine, but her face was scratched up, her coat was torn all the way around the bottom, the hood was ripped in half, and the second zipper was missing. She had effectively made ruined it for any future missions with hardly any effort.

He covered his face with his hand before speaking. "How did you manage to cause so much damage to your cloak from a simple fall?"

Jexa blinked a few times and examined the damage. "Don't know. I was running at full speed. That might have helped. I tore the sleeve on another one from dodging Marluxia, if that makes it seem any less weird." His hard expression gave her an answer. "I shouldn't have said that."

"You, never mind. We are wasting time." He summoned his claymore and waved it in her face. "I need to perform an evaluation of your sword fighting skills."

Jexa stared wide-eyed at the end of the spiky weapon and summoned her sword. She grinned and stood, her sword held out in front tauntingly.

"Let's keep this short and sweet."

Saix nodded in agreement and lunged at her. Jexa danced out of the way. The attack nearly pinned her to the ground and missed her by inches. At that moment she knew all of the battles she fought with the Heartless would be nothing compared to the fight she faced. A quick lunge at her mentor, then a retreat. Saix easily sidestepped the blow. Despite her best efforts, he managed to scrape her arm with the end of the claymore. Blood flowed freely from the gash. She stared at Saix in disbelief. This was supposed to be training.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snarled as she put pressure on her cut.

"Assessing your skills," Saix said nonchalantly. "You are failing miserably already." He raced towards her, his arm drawn back. This was definitely more than training. She skipped out of his way, tripping on the slope of the ramp to the entrance of the train station. Saix thrust his claymore towards her, hitting the pole instead. The resulting dent was several inches deep in the concrete pillar, an example of how a direct hit would affect flesh and bone. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and walked over. For crying out loud, it was like it was all a game to him. Jexa scrambled up, eyes darting. An escape route needed to be found in case Saix decided she needed to defeat him, which wouldn't be happening, in order for her to be good enough to go back to the castle. As she kept moving back, she found two, one leading to the maze of passages underneath the town and the other leading to the main street. Both of the ways were behind her mentor. She cursed him under her breath. That man had some serious issues.

In a desperate attempt to get past him, she swung at his face with all the strength she could muster. He watched with little interest as the sword neared him. Just as it was about to strike home, he threw Lunatic protectively in its path. The force of metal hitting metal, hard, rendered Jexa's arm limp.

"I can't fight like this," she gasped.

"Try. I must complete my evaluations."

Jexa gritted her teeth and shifted her sword into her other hand. If she said no, she knew it would lead to more bad marks. She wasn't nearly as good using her left, but it was better than not being able to use her sword at all. Seeing she would continue, Saix rushed her. Nothing of the battle seemed fair. They should have quit at first blood. Jexa glared at Saix, fed up, and waited until he was almost upon her, then moved to the side and stuck out her foot. He tripped and tried to keep from falling over. She pushed the tip of her sword into his back once he had regained enough balance to stand up straight. Now the evaluations had to be finished, even if it wasn't technically sword fighting that ended it. After seeing Zexion, a new cloak could be put on and the cuts treated more thoroughly. A visit to see Xigbar was next on the list, then a relaxing hot shower.

While she believed the fight was finished and thought about how to continue her day, Saix dropped to the ground and hooked her feet out from under her. Jexa landed on her back with a thud. The underhanded retaliation knocked the wind out of her.

Breathing hard, she stood back up, swaying the whole time. Saix stood opposite to her, totally unfazed. It was as if he didn't have a weakness. In her mental and physical exhaustion, she unwittingly lowered her guard. The Luna Diviner took the opening and brought his claymore down on her shoulder. He knew better than to use all of his strength, but the force of the blow was still nothing to frown at. Jexa cried out and crumpled to the ground. Her sword rapidly spun away several feet. Relentless, Saix slammed Lunatic right next to her. Jexa's teeth jarred from the impact. Later on that day she would find several bruises all over her body, mostly from the one bone-jarring attack.

Saix pulled his weapon from the earth. "Get up. I'm not finished yet." A hint of a smile played at the corner of his lips. "Or are you done?"

Jexa grimaced and got up to get her sword, picking it up with her right hand again. That arm was more useful than the other one, which had nearly been broken. "I know I don't have a choice." In truth, she was done, but it would look bad on the evaluation. It didn't need to be any worse.

She wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, trying to see if she could buy any time. No luck. He brought his claymore halfway around his body and then sent it flying towards her. Jexa dodged it just in time, then brought her sword above her head in preparation to strike. Finally, a reasonable opening. Just as she was about to strike a blow similar to the one that sent her sprawling, Saix summoned Lunatic back into his hands. He parried with mocking ease, then sent her flying with a flick of his wrist. Jexa lay on the ground, dazed, and tried to clear her head. Saix calmly walked over to where she had landed and waited to see what she would do. It all had been much too easy. She had to have something planned. Most likely everything she had done had been a feint and she had something in mind, some type of retaliation that would make everything sensible.

Nothing of what Saix thought was remotely true. Jexa had put up her best fight and was honestly finished. It had been embarrassing and painful, and no doubt more pain would show up once the adrenaline wore off. She scowled and threw her sword up at her mentor, who knocked it aside reflexively. Instantly she regretted tossing her weapon away. She wanted to slash him until he was in little pieces. Language got the better of her. "You son of a- Gah!"

In one swift motion he had his claymore pressing into the side of her neck. "Rule one of fighting; never throw your weapon away unless you can retrieve it easily." He pressured her neck until the skin was about to break. "Rule two: don't mock a winning opponent." He sent Lunatic away and pulled her up by the hood. "Your combat skills are pitiful. Roxas will teach you how to fight tomorrow." He let go of her coat and went back to the castle.

Number XIV walked into the shadows and melded into them, coming out outside Zexion's house. She crumpled to the pavement in utter despair. Roxas was going to teach her. Out of everyone, it had to be Roxas who had the weapon closest to hers. He was what, fourteen, fifteen, and was going to be teach her how to use a blade. Luxord would surely get a kick out of the misfortune if he ever heard, and Axel would never let Jexa live it down once he figured out what was going on. Things couldn't get much worse. Then again, they always got worse when things became the most bleak.

Jexa slammed her head against the wall behind her in frustration, not one of the smartest things to do considering her physical condition, and went inside the house. Zexion looked up from his Lexicon, startled by her abrupt arrival, and nearly smiled.

"Whatever happened to your face?"

Jexa tapped her foot quickly, feeling more than a little insulted and annoyed. Did everyone have a need to get on her nerves? "What are you talking about? I'm pretty sure my face has several issues at the moment."

He turned his attention back to the book. "The cut. You do know it will scar?"

"Yes," she sighed. She leaned against the wall, preparing to go back to the castle. Zexion was fine, which was what she came make sure. "Do you need anything before I go?"

"Yes, the disguise from my closet. I am assuming you have found yours already, so you should know what I am talking about." He chuckled. "You're going to look like Xigbar."

"Sorry?" she said, half in the shadows.

Zexion looked back to find Jexa standing in the darkness of a corner, staring at him with the blue in her eyes tinted yellow like a Heartless'. Shadow warped around her with fluid grace, not like the angry movements it should have had since her hood was down. _Would Vexen ever have liked to find out exactly why,_ he thought curiously. "There's a mirror on the table in the other room."

She eased out of the shadows, her eyes turning back to their normal color, and went into the other room. Zexion watched her go, wondering what made her special and accumulating a desire to find out.

A sharp intake of air could be heard from the opposite side of the wall. "This isn't good. Oh man, this isn't good at all. I'm freaking Xigbar without an eye patch."

"That could be arranged," Zexion said.

Jexa poked her head around the corner and glared at the Cloaked Schemer. "I'm going to get that from every other member, do you realize that? I don't need to hear it from you."

He grinned slightly and went back to reading. Jexa went back into the shadows, whacking her head against the wall again. Zexion's smile grew, but it fell in an instant. Nobodies had no emotions, which was a good thing. Emotions got in the way of logic, sense, and everything else that made sure the correct ending occurred. It had been his choice to turn into a Nobody for those very reasons. There was no point in the sacrifice of giving up a heart if fake emotions were to be used while the road to retrieving that heart was being paved. Might as well make use of the time they were unburdened by, as Xaldin put it, the uselessness of a heart.

Jexa stepped out into the Grey Area and immediately began to use Nothing's gift in order to keep from feeling sick. The overflow of fake emotions was starting to get to her. A Nobody wasn't supposed to feel so much, even if it was all in his or her head. Jexa shook it off and receded into her calm state, but that also meant the adrenaline was sent away. The full force of the injuries she had sustained made her gasp and black spots appear in front of her eyes.

"Damn you Saix," she hissed as she struggled to contain the hurt. In the non-emotional state, it was even more obvious how ridiculous it had been of him to beat her so. "Damn you to eternal darkness."

Jexa stood in the Grey Area gripping the back of one of the chairs for several minutes before she was braced enough to walk, and the agony it caused her to move was still horrendous. The journey from the Grey Area to her room took twice as long as usual. No one else had finished their mission yet, so the halls were clear of those who would either mock her or try to help, both of which Jexa would have hated.

After she cleaned the dried blood off her skin and replaced her tattered cloak with a different one, she collapsed on the bed and draped her arm over her face. Even with her eyes open, all she could see was blackness, a comforting sight for the dark Nobody. The darkness allowed her to relax in a way the light could not, and in her calmer frame of mind she saw her darkness again for the first time in awhile. She went over to it and sat down in front of where it was curled up.

"Nothing said I should train you," she said to the drowsy beast. "But I'm not sure where to start."

A cold, white hand rested on her shoulder. Jexa didn't bother to look up. She knew exactly who it was.

"After some time you should be able to have it come to your side as a Pureblood Heartless for a brief period, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. Perhaps we should start by teaching it to respond to simple commands."

Jexa nodded. "Alright. Which ones should we start with?"

She could tell he shrugged slightly by the way his hand raised and fell. "Whichever you prefer. It is your darkness. Come, merge, stay, speak, possess, any of those are simple enough."

"I understand come, stay, and speak, but what do you mean by merge and possess?"

He sighed dramatically and spun something in his other hand. "At least you are asking sensible questions. 'Merge' is when you borrow its power, and 'possess' is when you take control of someone. To cover the bases, as they say, 'speak' is quite literal and requires it to talk to you. 'Come' and 'stay' are self-explanatory."

"Ah," she said, seeing how ridiculous it was of her not to understand the simplicity of it all when he told her in the first place. "Why don't we start with 'come'?" she said after a pause.

He laughed. "You have to name it first. Do not get ahead of yourself dearest."

Jexa ignored the fact that he had told her she should teach it a command first and concentrated on finding an appropriate name for it. Whatever it was couldn't be simple as a pet's name because that would demoralize her in turn. She gnawed over the problem for a bit before coming up with something suitable.

"Cirix would work."

"An Organization style name. Fitting in a way." Nothing took his hand off her shoulder, a hint for her to stand. It was understood, but Jexa stayed on the floor.

"Cirix, come here," she ordered. It growled at her and shifted into a more comfortable position. She could hear Nothing chuckling behind her.

"You must be specific until it becomes more obedient."

Training Cirix was going to be more work than first anticipated. It didn't seem hard, just labor intensive. Jexa brushed her bangs aside, still calm in her current frame of mind. "Cirix, come up to me now."

The dark mass grumbled and trudged over, looking incredibly ticked. Nothing circled it once, examining it.

"You made it respond. I am impressed. It would not listen to me." He prodded its side with a short, white staff, the item Jexa had noticed him twirling earlier, and watched, amused, as it tried to bite him. "So this is where your emotions stem from. Interesting. Such an alert creature. We will see what happens once the true training begins." He began to fade into the darkness, no doubt going back to the Dark. "Enjoy yourself dearest. Have at least three commands taught before you wake."

Jexa listened with little interest. If the thing she was supposed to do was train Cirix, then that was what she was going to accomplish. It was a very clear prospect since the clarity of logic was not interrupted with emotions.

"You heard him. Sit." The creature gave her a blank stare. "Sit down there," she clarified, pointing to a specific spot. It followed her direction and responded without hesitation, but it seemed to be discontent. She took no notice of the reaction, believing it was the fact that it had never been told exactly what to do before and the way it was going to deal was to sulk.

"Good," Jexa said in a monotone not too far from Saix's. "Now speak."

"Idiot," it growled. Cirix was definitely sulking over something; his head was between his paws and his voice a little more than a grating whisper.

Jexa cocked her head slightly. "Excuse me?"

It snorted. "You hear. Stupid girl. You trust _him_."

"You mean Nothing? Of course I do. He has not given me a reason not to doubt him. In fact, he has saved my friend and healed me."

"Idiot. Man is wolf dressed like sheep. Niceness fake, just acts that make you kind. Him wars light, will use you."

She propped her chin under her hands, expecting a long conversation. "Haven't you become articulate? Well then, my all-knowing darkness, how will he use me exactly?"

"Don't know. He will, he will, know it. Will try make good odds. Wants power, is bad. Stay away." It lifted its head and looked over its shoulder. "Must go now. Hunting soon." It looked at her curiously. "Won't thank me?"

She drew back. "For what? The information, the power, for helping to save Zexion, or all of the above?"

Cirix began to walk off. "Stronger emotions."

She paused as she watched him leave. "Hey, come back here."

"Don't know command."

Now it had a sense of humor, wonderful. The training seemed to be a waste of time on such a belligerent creature, so she thought it would be better to call it quits for awhile. Jexa sighed, thinking she had been cheated of a full answer, and willed herself awake. When she took her arm off of her face, not only did her whole body begin to ache again but she also had a headache to go with it. She groaned and rolled over to alleviate some of the hurt, but her arm screamed in complaint.

"Damn you Saix," she repeated. All she wanted was some time to process the information she had received during the day, but now that window was shot thanks to X-face. She shrugged it off quickly enough after deciding to go see how Xigbar was fairing since his fall.

_Cirix, come here_. The dark creature came grudgingly and huffed at her.

_You still not understand._

_ Yeah, I get it. You don't like Nothing. Guess what, you don't have to. _She touched him, effectively shutting him up and getting the extra power she needed to find Xigbar. She hadn't been paying attention to the unique taste his darkness put in her mouth or Demyx's, so she wasn't sure if the sweet spicy taste or the sweet dry taste was Number II. On a whim, she locked onto the sweet dry signal, hoping it was Xigbar. She didn't feel like running into Demyx.

The signal led her down the hallway and into a room four doors down from her own. Inside, Xigbar was relaxing on the bed with an icepack to his head. Jexa pursed her lips, knowing she could have avoided a worse headache, which was sure to come after she released her darkness, if she had performed a small search. Xigbar shut the door behind her when he heard her enter the room. Jexa wondered how he managed that feat and thought about asking him, but decided that it wasn't important. Besides, the darkness had all the answers to every question she could ask, normally.

At first he was mildly curious why his abuser had barged into his room, but curiosity quickly turned to impatience when she didn't say anything. "Hey Possessor, what's up?" It was somewhat bad form to speak first when someone else entered the room in his mind, but worrying about form was more of Luxord's thing and it hadn't rubbed off.

Jexa was smart enough to know when she was being insulted. Being called a Possessor, a very aggravating Pureblood Heartless, wasn't exactly a friendly nickname. "It isn't fair that you get all the sympathy when your head hurts," she said, ignoring the bait.

Xigbar shifted on the bed, troubled. Something wasn't right. Even in the short time he had known her, he knew Jexa would snap at little things such as being called a Possessor or at least try to make a retort. "You never fell two stories to land on your head." He grinned, only to receive a cold stare. Something wasn't right in the least. Either she was still mad or, or… Xigbar couldn't find another logical explanation.

"That doesn't mean I don't get killer headaches." She went over to the window and crossed her arms. "From this angle you would have a pretty good view of the stars, if there were any."

"Yeah, now whad'ya want kid?"

"Nothing, just wanted to make sure you hadn't sustained any further brain damage. You seem fine."

Xigbar noticed that there wasn't any humor in her voice to go with the attempted joke. "You seem pretty lifeless kid," he said, getting right to the point.

"My choice." She winced as if something had hit her over the head, then muttered, sounding discontent. "I'm going to go back to my room now. Saix wanted to test my skill in sword fighting today and I did not fair well. Add that to my almost continuous headache and I'm not feeling well at all." As she turned to leave, Xigbar noticed the scar on the side of her face.

He laughed. "Hey, you look like me now. I have a few extra eye patches if you-"

She stopped at the door. "Shut up Xigbar."

"Aww, you don't need to be so defensive about it. You'll get used to seeing through only one eye after-"

"I said shut up."

He was having fun now and had no intention of stopping until she snapped. "And it not as if it's a big deal. Don't worry, I'll be there for you. That's what members are for."

Jexa clenched her fists. "Are you deaf? I said shut it!"

"We could be look alikes. It'd be fun, you'll see."

She turned around to face him, her eyes as cold as ice. "How long do you want to be a mute, Xigbar? I could arrange for an hour or a month or any time in between, perhaps more if I really applied myself. Take your pick."

"I like talking. You wouldn't ruin it for me, would you kiddo?"

"Heh, you call Roxas 'kiddo'. Stick to reserving that name for him." Jexa let go of the darkness and left for her room to go to sleep a bit early in order to recover a little from the day's punishments.

Xigbar relaxed when she left. He hadn't realized he had been tense. Whatever it was that had affected his former apprentice had changed her so much she no longer could take a joke or explain why she was upset, two things that were prominent earlier, at least to him. He grumbled and shut the lights off with space manipulation, pulling the covers farther up at the same time. A solution would present itself farther down the road, hopefully, then some answers could be found.

That night Nothing appeared before her when she opened her eyes, tendrils of darkness creeping across him as he sat on the floor with his eyes closed. She sat down where she was, finding a wall behind her to support her where one wasn't a moment before. A line of shadow lazily crawled across her foot before curling around her ankle. She pulled up her hood and, without much thought, allowed it to ensnare her as it had Nothing. She didn't mind, in fact, it was lulling. The darkness pulsed in time with her blood, sending her off to a deeper sleep faster. Across the room, Nothing smiled. There was not a piece out of place. In her head, her darkness howled and clawed at the chains that bound him. Things were slipping away.


	10. Lessons to be Learned

Jexa woke up in the Dark with her hood on, the darkness gone, and Nothing extending a hand to help her up. She took it and was hauled to her feet.

Nothing slid his hand out from hers. "How do you fair dearest?" he asked, smiling.

She stretched. "Great. What was that?"

"Energy the darkness provided. While you were asleep I took the liberty of making your darkness more literate. I hope you do not mind."

She pulled her hood off and smoothed her bangs. "Nope. In fact, I think it'll be nice. Those short sentences were annoying."

"I am glad we share views." He tipped his hat to her. "You should return to your world soon."

She nodded. "Alright. Thanks for everything."

"You're most welcome." He smiled sweetly as she began to wander off into the shadows, the smile turning a little devious as she got father away. "Most welcome."

Jexa walked aimlessly through the endless darkness, unsure of where the exit to the outside world was. Every step was just like the last and, if not for Nothing's shrinking shape behind her, she should think she was going nowhere. After a while she grew bored and called her darkness, but he didn't come. "Cirix," she yelled. There was a rattling of chains beside her, chains holding her darkness at bay. She cocked her head and went over to untangle him from his restraints. "What do you think you're doing?"

He shook himself, crouched down, and pounced on her. Jexa yelped in surprise, ending up underneath her darkness. "You're an idiot," he hissed. "What you're doing stupid."

She rolled her eyes. "He said he made you literate."

"Better at communicating, but time I'm best is time worried. You're so stupid!"

"Great, now get off." Cirix growled softly as he padded on to the dark surface, claws she didn't know he had clicking on it. Now that she was closer to him, he looked less like the deformed Possessor he once was and now was more a dangerous one, a creature completely black, defined in form, and clawed. Jexa liked it, but he was discontent. She couldn't figure it out.

"Are you okay Cirix?" she asked.

"No!" he howled, his voice as grating as ever. "Not okay. Nothing is closer, is pleased even." He perked up. "Xemnas, you hate Xemnas, right?"

She sat up and looked the other way. "I don't know about hate…"

"Fear?"

She paused. "Yes," she said softly.

Cirix laughed. "Fear. Funny." She glared at him, but he didn't care. "If you fear Superior, then stay away Nothing, little _Prodigy of the Shadows_. You shocked when heard that. Where hear it before? Nothing, that's where. Just, stay away from Nothing if want nothing to do with Xemnas. Xemnas insane, hears whispers of nothing, some from Nothing. Get it? Please understand."

She didn't understand. Sure, Xemnas had used the same title Nothing had, but he was creative. Maybe he scared her at times with his unspoken ideas, a lot of the time actually, but he was an inventive Nobody nonetheless. There was no way the two of them could be talking since Nothing had said no one else could see or hear him. It wasn't feasible. "I don't think so. Nothing said-"

Cirix laughed again, harshly and chiding this time. "'Nothing said.' Why do you believe _him_? Zexion? For the thousandth time, he's deceiving you."

She stood up, stiff as a board. "I want to go back to the castle now, Cirix. Take me back."

He bristled and bit her. "Idiot!" he growled through her arm.

"Ow!" she cried, grabbing where he bit her. There was nothing there. She was laying in her bed, clamping down on where her darkness had bit her. She pushed up the sleeve to find welts on the top and bottom, all in the shape of little ovals. She covered it back up. The bruises on her arm from the previous day reminded her to take a look at her face. There was some impressive bruising on it as well, but nothing could hide the angry red scar that so resembled the Freeshooter's.

_It isn't as bad as Xigbar's. His is much worse than mine will ever become._ Once she got ready for the day, she headed out for the Gray Area. Saix was staring outside the window to a spot where there was nothing was but sky.

"Morning Saix," she yawned.

"You are the first to wake besides Xemnas and myself," he said, extremely tired. "Go wake the others. Go through the hall, call them, open their doors, and if they still do not come, you are given permission to do whatever it takes to get them out of bed."

Her face fell. "The whole Organization?"

"Axel left for an early mission. The rest have yet to show up. Go."

Jexa sulked back to the members' quarters. Everyone had to be woken, including Xaldin and Xigbar, the two people you didn't want on your bad side. At least there wasn't Vexen, Larxene, Lexaeus, or Zexion to deal with. Each of them would have been a pain in their own unique way. She rapped on each of the doors, yelling, "Wake up, wake up, wake up! I don't have all day." Mostly there were moans and groans, but Xaldin answered, "I am awake. I will be out by the time you finish your rounds." She hoped he was being honest; she really didn't want to have to go in to wake him and risk his spears. Unfortunately, no one else gave her such a reply. Jexa sighed and began opening the doors one by one, revealing members with their heads hidden by blankets or pillows, some mumbling, "Go away," or "Can't you let me sleep?" Xaldin did exit his room by the time she was all the way on the other side of the hall and nodded to her as he turned to go to the Grey Area. It was a good thing to know that he wasn't going to be a problem, but the others, they would present an issue. All of the doors had to be flung open and even then only Xion stepped out. Jexa growled and stomped to the center of the hall.

"Listen up!" she yelled. "Anyone who doesn't get his lazy butt out of bed will get an army of Heartless in his room. If that doesn't work, I'll come in there and drag you to the Grey Area, ready or not."

"As if," muttered Xigbar.

"Five more minutes," pleaded Demyx.

"Nnngh," moaned Roxas.

Luxord sighed and came out of his room, his hands up in surrender. "I know when the game's up," he said, giving her a sleepy smile. She smiled back and closed his door. His room didn't need to be torn up while the others were waking.

She peered inside the remained four doors. "So no one else is getting up?" Two 'yes's' and one groan came from the Nobodies. Jexa cracked her knuckles and summoned ten Blue Rhapsody for Xigbar, ten Yellow Opera for Demyx, and ten Red Nocturnes for Roxas, "Last chance," she warned.

"Go a-_way_," Xigbar said for everyone. Jexa shrugged and sent the Heartless off to their rooms, closing the doors behind them. In the rooms, various swears were exchanged as the Nobodies found that she hadn't been kidding when she said she would be throwing Heartless at them. Jexa would have enjoyed the experience more if she didn't feel so tired. Summoning so many Heartless in one turn had taken all the extra energy the darkness had provided her the other night along with a little of her own. Shaking it off, she waited for people to start coming out of their rooms.

Demyx raced out of his room first, some of the Yellow Opera still following him. "Goawaygoawaygoaway _please_!" he cried as he skidded down the floors towards the Grey Area. Lightning bolts charged the floor where he had been standing moments earlier.

"They will when you see Saix," she called after him, the reassurance she meant to provide missing from her voice. Wonderful. This would mean another cycle of revenge, Demyx starting it off this time. She didn't want to think about it.

Roxas stumbled out next. He dispatched the last Heartless that was following him and watched the heart float up through the ceiling. He was still very sleepy, but there was some humor in his eyes. "If Saix puts me on heart duty today I'm counting those," he joked.

Jexa chuckled, closing his and Demyx's doors. "You can try to convince Saix of that." He scowled at the thought of talking to anyone seriously in the morning and followed Demyx's route out a little slower.

Xigbar didn't show, even after she had waited a full five minutes. "Xigbar," she said, knocking on his door. One diamond shot through the wood, missing her by an inch. Jexa prepared to control him but thought better of it. There was more than one way to deal with a Nobody.

"Xigbar, come on, I have to- Larxene, I thought you were dead. Where've you been?"

"Waiting at Castle Oblivion for one of those traitors to help me," she snarled in her Larxene-voice. Xigbar shifted in his bed. This was bad. "I almost died from that little Keyblade brat, and did anyone help me, no! And what do I find when I come back? My room, destroyed! _Someone_ killed my closet, and I want to know who."

Jexa relished in her private role-play. "Sorry, can't help you there. Maybe later, but for now, could you get Xigbar out of bed?"

She snickered in a way she thought sounded like Larxene. "It would be my pleasure. Oooh, how about we make this interesting? I'll count to ten, and if Xigbar isn't out by then, I'll electrocute him."

"Works for me."

Xigbar scrambled inside his room, pulling on his boots and straightening his eye patch as he heard 'Larxene' counting from one to ten, making each one a minute just to stress him out. She was on six, although that didn't mean anything. Once, Demyx had been on four and then ten. He rushed out on the count of nine, Arrowguns drawn, and saw no Larxene but Jexa saying ten in Larxene's voice as she sprinted down the corridor. He smirked and shot a diamond at her as she turned a corner, missing her by an inch. Now that he thought about it, 'Larxene' had been a little too high-pitched and monotone to actually be Larxene. Whatever. He would get her later when they were on a mission. Everyone got paired up eventually, except Xemnas and Saix, unless the two worked together, but it didn't really matter. He started to work out the various ways to annoy her as he walked upside down on the ceiling to the Gray Area. Work was with Luxord today; he knew that much about the day's mission. Joy, and LOL. Only recently had he learned text speech and found how great it was to get on other's nerves. He brought his phone out of his pocket; how it even stayed in his pocket while he was upside down he had no clue, and pushed the 'text' button. _Hey, what're you doing?_ he sent to some random person. He actually had a 'random person' for a send option on his phone. There were a lot of plain old random buttons that did nothing expect bug others he didn't know.

_Keeping watch so my friend doesn't hurt herself trying to move_, came the reply from a number with a world code he had never seen before. _Who're you and how did you get my number?_

_ Xigbar, and IDK. Wanna know what my number is? It's 2, lol._

There was a wait in the reply as the other person read his message probably several times to try and make sense of it. Of course, they wouldn't, but the wait was worth it, usually. _What're you talking about?_ was the reply.

_If you don't know then I'm not going to tell you_, he said, amused.

_Yeah, alright. Hey, I'm going to call you_.

Xigbar chuckled as his phone rang. It never made sense to him why someone would tell him they were going to call him instead of just calling him.

"Hi, who is this?" said a totally unfamiliar voice.

"This would be Xigbar, the guy who was texting you. My name hasn't changed since then."

"Oh hi Xigbar!" the guy said as if they had been friends forever. "When are you coming-? Hold on a second." A female voice belonging to someone with probably serious injuries started talking to his mystery texter/caller, then began arguing with him. "Hey hey, don't move, you'll hurt yourself," the person said, muted, then, more clearly, "Here, you can talk to him." A grumbled 'thank you' was given.

"Xigbar, why are you texting Link?" said the girl.

"Well I'm not texting him now, so I guess we're okay." He decided not to press the fact that he didn't know who Link was and let her talk.

"And when did you get a cell phone? _Where_ did you get a cell phone? How did you get his number? Why-?"

Xigbar laughed. Meaningless conversation was always fun, especially when you could confuse the other person. "Enough with the questions. Twilight Town, where else, and I got it about a month ago. I keep prank calling Xemnas and he hasn't figured it out yet. I texted him randomly, so there."

"Fine. So, when are you guys getting here?"

This was going a step too far. She was taking in the information as if she knew like the back of her hand. "Err, what?"

"You know, to help everyone defend the castle against the assassins. Meta Knight's wearing himself out keeping watch outside, so it would be great if you came to help him, although I guess Vincent is the one who's organizing all of this. I don't know. Axel told you everything, didn't he?"

"Axel's alive?" he blurted out. He hadn't seen him since before C.O. A shocked silence was all he received. She called for a Niran, listened to her for a minute, exclaimed, 'What?', and then dropped the phone. Link volunteered to pick it up, ignoring the girl's protests of wanting to get it herself, and gave it back to her.

"Sorry wrong Xigbar," she said quickly, and then hung up. He stared at his phone and thought about calling Link back, whoever Link even was, but thought better of it. If they were expecting the Organization to fend off assassins for them and got into as much trouble as the girl was in, then it would be better to leave well enough alone. He could always find out later. As he was getting around to standing on the floor again, he thought about what the girl had said. _Sorry, wrong Xigbar._ Wrong Xigbar? Was there more than one of him? Where was that world anyway? It wasn't one they knew about or even should have been able to reach by any means. He decided to leave the question alone and pursue an issue that would make his head hurt less.

Roxas was waiting for Jexa in the Grey Area, looking a little embarrassed. Jexa, still being completely emotionless, regarded the next few hours as nothing other than an inconvenience.

"Saix said you might have some, well, he said _issues_, with me having to train you," the blond boy said awkwardly. "I don't like it any more than you do, so we'll just get it over, okay?"

"Alright. Let's go. Which world did you have in mind?"

Roxas lifted his head up and saw the bruising on her face. "What happened to you?" he said, startled.

"This," she said, pointing to the scar. "Was done by a Dancer Nobody. This-" She indicated the rest of her face. "Was a result of a training session with Saix."

Roxas stared for a moment before finding his voice again. "I- I'm not going to be that, harsh."

"Which world, Roxas?"

"Oh, right. Twilight Town. Saix assigned it."

Jexa nodded and opened a portal. "Is there some reason the Organization uses that world so much for their operations?"

"Not that I know of, but there might be. Why?"

"Just curious." They came out at the station. Roxas didn't seem too pleased about it. "Something wrong?"

He summoned his Keyblade in a barrage of light, something Jexa wasn't too happy about. "No. I was thinking about going to the sandlot to teach you, but this place works fine."

"Just as long as I don't get pounded the next time I fight Saix, I'm fine with whatever you want to teach me." She brought out her sword and held it at her side. Roxas eyed it warily.

"What now?"

"Nothing. I just, never mind. It doesn't matter." He paused. "First, you need a better stance. Someone could knock you over or hit you and you would be able to block them."

She corrected her footing, putting one foot behind her and bending the other knee, and held her sword out in front with both hands at an angle. Roxas nodded with approval.

"Okay, now show me how you block."

"I don't know how."

He stared at her, thinking she was joking, but she was serious. "How long have you been fighting?"

"About two years."

He gawked at her. "How are you still alive?"

"Obviously I did lose."

"But you've been fighting for two whole years!"

"I only had to fight Heartless.

"Okay, but-" He swung his Keyblade around and struck her in the stomach. She lost her grip on her sword and staggered back. "You really should've learned."

"They were, only Heartless," she gasped. The attack had knocked the wind out of her. "And you said, you weren't, going to be harsh."

He helped her stand straight again. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I've gotten much better with the Keyblade since Xion joined."

"You can tell me all about what you think of Xion later. Now, I want to know how to block."

"Oh, right."

For the next two hours they worked together to figure out which way worked best for her, deciding on a one-handed, slightly vertical hold, and perfecting it. Roxas was very patient through, probably because Jexa kept calming him down whenever he began to get upset. It wasn't for his peace of mind, but so she would learn how to be a more efficient fighter instead. With Nothing's gift, it was the only goal worth pursuing. By the time they were finished, she was much better at deflecting blows, although she still preferred dodging to standing and almost being hit.

"Good job," Roxas said after the fifth time she had blocked him without fail. "Do you want to work on technique or dodge rolling next?"

Jexa scraped her sword across the pavement in front of her in order to stay calm easier, making a sound that grated upon Roxas' ears. "What's dodge rolling?"

"When you hit the ground and roll out of the way of the other person's attack."

"Tempting, but I would rather refrain from knocking myself out, thanks. Let's work on technique instead."

The scraping noise, which was close to fingernails being dragged down a blackboard, and her sarcasm got to him. "Fine. Y'know, you're a lot like Saix."

"I am not," she argued, killing the noise, to his relief.

"Are too," Roxas said. "Now, here's one that works well on a still person." He ran and jumped a few feet in the air, then brought his Keyblade down on the head of an imaginary opponent.

"That has to be the stupidest move ever," she said with distain. "And how am I like Saix?"

"We'll see how you do against it," he challenged. "The Saix thing: You act the same. You have the same get-to-the-point type attitude he has, but nicer-ish."

"Whatever." What he thought about her likeness to Saix didn't matter to her as long as it didn't spread to the rest of the Organization. She watched as Roxas jumped in the air and brought his Keyblade over his head in preparation to slam it down on hers. Once he started falling back to earth, she threw up her guard, sending him back to where he started. She sent away her sword and kneeled over him. "You do realize I could have gutted you? Like I said, that was a stupid, stupid move."

"Nngh. Think it was my Somebody's move," he groaned, clutching his right arm. The same metal-on-metal force she had felt the other day must have affected him in the same way but worse, since he had put more force behind his attack.

"You're not going to die. Get up." She paused, listening to her own words. "Jeez, I really do sound like Saix. Sorry about that. I don't mean to." There wasn't much sincerity in her voice, but to another Nobody an apology without sarcasm was pretty good.

Roxas gave her a strained chuckle and stood up with a bit of difficulty. "C'mon, I want you show you something. You've earned it." He left the station for the main road with Jexa following close behind.

Where he took her was the plaza. The number of shops and the clear evidence of people put her on edge.

"Are you sure we should be here Roxas?"

He grinned and waved her on. "Sure. I get sent here on missions all the time and I go to this part of Twilight Town at least once a day to get ice cream."

"Ice cream?"

"Yeah, sea salt ice cream." He put his hood up and visited the sweets shop where he exchanges some munny for three blue popsicles. "It's really good. Here, this one's for you."

Jexa gingerly took the blue treat. "Why did you get three?"

"One's for Axel. He's the one who started this, getting ice cream after missions and everything. Eat up, it's melting."

She wasn't too pleased that Axel was involved with this nice get together, but she wouldn't waste the ice cream when Roxas seemed so enamored with it. She took a bite and examined the flavors. "Really salty, and also really sweet, too." For some reason, it tasted familiar, although she never had it before. She took another bite and thought about the déjà vu, then it clicked when Cirix connected the pieces for her. He had tasted it before. She dropped the ice cream and ran for the underground tunnels. "I'm gonna throw up," she said, covering her mouth with both hands. Roxas called after her but she kept going and didn't look back. He thought about taking a detour through the tunnels to see if she was okay, but the ice cream was melting and he needed to bring Axel the third one.

Jexa wretched in a corner of the tunnels until the taste of the popsicle was gone from her mouth, his taste. The ice cream tasted like Vanitas, half of Ventus and leader of the Unversed. He had a heart completely comprised of darkness, made when Xehanort split him from Ven. Cirix provided her a picture of him and Ven, Vanitas a boy dressed in a suit like Riku's when he became dark and an appearance like an older version of a dark Sora with black hair, Ven a boy with semi-spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and a glare like Sora's. Ven's resemblance to Roxas was striking and very curious.

_Tell me more about Ven_, she ordered Cirix.

_Restricted_, he rasped.

_What in the world are you talking about?_

_ Message from man: I know you must be wanting to know about one of the first brightest lights dearest, but now is not the time for you to know. First you must understand, then you may know, which in any case may be never. You may try to retrieve the information from other sources, but I will not assist you. Why you wish to know about this one, I do not know, nor do I want to learn. End message_. He shook himself and curled up into a tight ball. Jexa opened a portal to Hollow Bastion, wondering why Nothing had kept the information hidden from her and how he had recorded a message in her darkness.

Zexion penned a few more notes before leaning back in his chair. His neck hurt after craning over the desk for so long as he recalled the memories from the days past. All were hazy, but a few were clear enough to notice the details. However, a few were not enough for the Cloaked Schemer, so he began to write what he remembered down, a trick he had learned to recover memories when he had been dropped on his head by Xigbar. They had been young Nobodies then, fresh to their power and lack of a heart. Xigbar had thought he had been acting when he started swearing and demanding to be put on the floor before he let go of his ankles. That had cost Zexion a month in the infirmary and Xigbar more than a few illusions. The corners of his mouth twitched as he thought of the amusement and pleasure seeing Xigbar flail in the middle of the Grey Area for no apparent reason to anyone else had brought him, both emotions products of his mind, of course.

He arched his back and stretched, causing a sharp pain to erupt in his side. Zexion gasped and clutched where it hurt, blinking a few times to shake the fog from his head. What had happened to cause this? He remembered Riku, that traitor, slicing through him and something else, a faint thought of something detaching inside him. Even that little bit of the latter sent shivers down his spine. What had happened? He unzipped the coat to find an awful red wound that had pieces of what looked like darkness in it. He paled at the sight of it, although he wondered as well. So that was what the dark Keyblade wielder could do to a person, or Nobody, as the case may be. A Nobody of him needed to be created as soon as possible. It would be his first task when he went back to the Organization. Speaking of which…

Jexa opened the door to find Zexion halfway through a portal. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked thoughtfully. "Are you going back to The Castle That-"

"-Never Was? Yes, I am. It is high time I returned. I should have left yesterday, but I decided to conduct some research of my own on this place before I left. Thank you for your help."

She chuckled and shut the door before going over to stand behind the portal. "Why do you think I kept you here instead of taking you back to the castle immediately?"

He paused. "Yes, I was wondering that," he said softly.

"Axel tried to kill you with the Riku Replica. I didn't want you back at the castle in such a weakened state, especially with your would-be murderer there. Truthfully, I didn't tell them you were still alive. Don't you remember? I told you earlier."

Zexion looked over his shoulder, his brow furrowed. "No, I don't remember, to be honest. Jexa, you may be new, but you must know you have a duty to the Organization, as well as the rest of the members. If Axel attempted to kill another member, then he must be eliminated. You should have told the others that I was still alive and of his treachery."

She tilted her head, a tiny, mock smile on her face. "As I understand it, the Organization's goal is to complete Kingdom Hearts and get hearts of their own. That means I have to make sure this goal is reached, since I am a part of the Organization. Am I right?"

"Yes," Zexion said, unsure of where she was going. His neck started to bug him again, so he shifted around.

Her smile grew by a fraction of an inch. "We need all the Nobodies we can get to accomplish this goal. So, I am going to save everyone I can from the Keyblade wielders. Isn't it obvious? Isn't this right?" In reality, she didn't care about the Kingdom Hearts goal, but she knew it would sound good to a loyal member like Zexion. She saved Zexion because she liked him, and now she thought she should save the rest of them, excluding Xemnas and Axel, Xemnas because he creeped her out so and Axel because he was a traitor.

"That is fine, but I am well enough to return and I am in no danger. Again, I thank you for your help." As he went back, in the portal, Jexa read the notes he had made on his desk and looked at the cover. She chuckled and waved it in the air.

"Zexion, I believe you are forgetting something."

He took the book from her and started back, but she put her hand on his shoulder and examined his stance to make sure he was all right. She couldn't tell, but it would be better to be safe than sorry. "Zexion, you're not well," she pushed, her tone urgent. "You're still injured. Your memory is incomplete, more than what you have implied. You need some time to recover." She moved her hand up to his neck. "That's okay, probably a little sore at times, but-"

Zexion jumped back out of her reach. "How do you know about that? How do you know about the extent of my state of mind?"

She shrugged, almost finding his confused state amusing. "You scream of something lost. Even though you're still in pain, you want to go back to the castle, where Axel might try to kill you again. You left the portal to grab your Lexicon, which you could have summoned. I think the best stuff that showed me the state of your memories were the notes inside that book of yours." She chuckled at the obvious answer Zexion missed.

He ran his fingers through his hair, showing his left eye for a moment. "Yes, I am missing the equivalent of a day's worth of memories, but I can find no reason to be concerned. They are coming back, piece by piece, and most will fall into place."

"You're not going to remember the moments you were unconscious."

"What are you suggesting this time?" he snapped.

How fun this was. "A trade. The memories you lack in return for you staying out of the Castle That Never Was." She paused. "And The World That Never Was as well."

Zexion drummed on his Lexicon as he thought about the offer. "Very well. You tell me what I need to know now and I'll stay out."

Jexa laughed, a hollow sound lacking any humor. "What do you take me for, an idiot? No, I'll give you an answer a day. That seems fair."

He shook his head. "At least three a day or no deal."

Jexa's lips tightened. "One a day or nothing."

"You can't keep me here."

"Sure I can," she said brightly.

He opened his Lexicon. "No, you can't." An illusion full of blinding colors that kept spinning and blending together covered the room. Zexion disappeared in the distraction. "You should have taken my offer," came his voice from nowhere in particular. "Now I will go back to the castle and tell them of your treachery."

"Treachery?" she asked, amused. Already she had control of her darkness and was searching for Zexion. She didn't dare close her eyes in case he figured out what she was doing, but the menagerie of colors were distracting. Concentration was nigh impossible. If there was no break in the swirling patterns, then she would never be able to find him.

"Yes, your treachery. You have tried to keep me here against my will, violating my rights as an elder member, and have failed to tell the Organization of what Axel tried to do. This makes you just as much as a traitor as he is and you will suffer the same punishment. You will be eliminated!"

"Hm. I wonder how you will accomplish this. Your memory is faulty and I doubt Axel will admit to the crime. I will not testify against him. And how have I wronged you? I have kept you here to heal."

The colors wavered and froze for a second, long enough for her to lock on to Zexion. She kept a blank expression and wormed her way in, little by little, as to not alarm Number VI.

"You are not going to dissuade me, and it is obvious that I will not be able to dissuade you. The question is: will you let me go or not?"

"I will not." He didn't know it yet, but he was already under her control. His darkness had trotted up to her when she found it and was sitting compliantly under her hand. She was letting him have his way until she decided that it was time to stop playing games. She felt a little bit like Luxord in this mentality, but that only added to the humor.

Meanwhile, Zexion was growing uneasy outside the illusion. He didn't have his usual advantage of his opponent not knowing what they were seeing was an illusion, although the one he created was rather crude and wouldn't have fooled Sora. He was about to replace it with a version of the room with a combat-worthy image of himself when a chill came over him. It had happened before, he was sure of it, and he knew he needed to remember. Along with the nagging at the back of his mind came the smell of the Heartless. Unless one was inside, he shouldn't have been able to detect them. After a quick scan he found none of the little beasts hiding in the shadows. One could be in another room, but that was unlikely. He pushed the idea away and continued on with the illusion. _I'll replace this one with a new one in a moment, then I'll go back to the castle. She can play with it for a few minutes before I let it go. By that time I'll be back in the Organization and she will be unable to do anything about it, _he thought contently_. Let's see here-_

"You said you had lost part of your memory. I wonder how much of it," Jexa stated, bringing Zexion back to the present.

"That is none of your concern," he said evenly as he began to shift one illusion into the other. The fake Zexion appeared in the colors, book open and all. "I see no other way to end this," he and the fake said simultaneously. The fake closed his Lexicon so there would be a reason as to why the colors disappeared before rushing her. Jexa chuckled, summoned her sword, and blocked his attack. For some reason, the real Zexion clenched and unclenched his fist, probably from anxiety, he reasoned. He returned his attention to the fight to see the fake back up and open his book again, releasing a flurry of pages that surrounded her and slashed at her face and coat. Again she laughed. Both Zexions, as the fake mirrored the real one, couldn't understand why she was finding the situation funny. She was being attacked by an older member and losing. There was nothing funny about that.

"Nice illusion Zexion," she yelled over the windstorm the pages were making. "If I didn't know better I would believe it."

"This is no illusion. This is reality," the two said, but she could only hear the fake. He increased the intensity of the flurry and opened a portal back to the castle. Illusion or not, discomfort was a good distraction.

Jexa began to fidget inside the cylinder of pages. Each move caused another page to cut her, but she knew it was fake, despite how much it hurt. Zexion was toying with her nerves. It didn't matter. What she saw in front of her was nothing more than another one of his tricks. She had compelled the Zexion in front of her to clench his fist to see if he really was who he said he was, and since he did not respond, he failed her test. The real Zexion was about to leave and she knew it. He had used his darkness to call up a portal. If he reached the castle, then everything she had worked for would unravel and die, including Zexion. She took in a deep breath and shoved her way through the paper. It didn't feel like she was making any headway, all she felt like she was getting was pain, but within two difficult steps she was out. Her cloak was ripped in several places and blood was streaming down her face and arms. Strength was leaving her and she was swaying on her feet, but there was a smile on her face. The fake Zexion looked absolutely shocked, a little bit of horror mixed in his features, and he shimmered. Standing by the wall behind her was the real one with a perfect replica of the shock the other was exhibiting. For that time she became a little stronger, the blood seemed less real, and the skin underneath the rips in her cloak was shaded with black.

"I did that," she panted. "Just to see the look on your face." With that she took control of him and dropped the illusion.

Zexion couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had remembered the thing he should have remembered ages ago and why the smell of Heartless had come up. The smell of Heartless had originated from the large amount of darkness present, made possible by her. Jexa could control others who had darkness in them, and since every heart contained darkness and Nobodies were very much involved in darkness, she could control anyone. In a moment of curiosity he wondered whether or not she could control Keyblade wielders, who were so pure of heart. He cleared it from his mind and focused on the problem at hand. The girl had a Xaldin-like determination, something he had not noticed the day he had trained her in skill. It would have been a hard trait to overlook, so he thought she developed the ability recently. What surprised him more was the fact that she had overcome physical pain in order to achieve her goal when she could have taken a Corridor out. It spoke of shortsightedness to him.

Jexa shuddered. She couldn't get the sensation of the pages ripping her skin out of her mind. They had been some pretty bad paper cuts, even if they were imaginary. "Zexion, I really don't know what I'm going to do with you," she said as she rubbed her arm. "That wasn't very nice." When she didn't get a reply she continued. "I could put you to sleep-" He became a little drowsy as well as panicked. "But I don't think that will work too well. C'mon, you've got to help me out here. You're the Cloaked _Schemer_. You have to know what to do."

He did. If their positions were reversed, he would bind her hands and feet and throw her in the darkest room he could find, hood down, so she couldn't portal away. If there was no light to compete with shadow, then there would be no shadow and no way to portal out. For good measure, he would have a Dusk guard her to make sure she couldn't escape, but he said nothing. No need to speak; he might say something careless and give her an idea.

She touched the scar on her face and sighed. "For a minute I thought this would be gone too. Oh well." Her face turned cold again. "Seriously, if you want to live, you can't go back. I'll bring you whatever you need, whatever news you want, just stay away, please."

"What is so wrong about my returning? It could only benefit the Organization."

She moved into the room on the left, the bedroom, and sat down in a chair. "Please, sit down on the bed," she said. She wasn't asking; it was an order and he had to obey it since he was still under her control. He moved in and sat down, tight-lipped and shooting daggers out of his eyes. It didn't affect her at all, but it satisfied him. She was in a chair with her arms crossed, acting very calm, just as a good little Nobody should. Despite the situation, he found he approved of her attitude.

"Zexion," she said after a pause. "Are you okay?"

"Hmph. Define 'okay'."

"I was wondering if you were in pain, if anything was bothering you, other than your Organization issues."

He rested his chin on his fist. He still had no control over his legs, but he could move his upper body. "I'm perfectly alright. My side hurts somewhat, but it's nothing."

Jexa stiffened. "Where?" He touched it gently and winced. It didn't seem like it should hurt that badly.

She stood up, pursing her lips and shifting her weight from foot to foot until she calmed. "Let me see," she said quietly.

"Why? I don't understand-"

In an instant all her patience vanished. "Just let me see!"

He unzipped his coat to show her the inflamed red area. She groaned and examined it. The little pieces had become larger in the short time they had been covered. "It wasn't that bad earlier," Zexion muttered. Jexa released her hold on him and took her glove off, dipping her hand in a shadow. She brought it back out covered in a thin layer of darkness. He flinched back when she tried to put her hand on the wound.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she grumbled, eyes still focused on the darkness pieces.

"How do I know that?"

With a straight face, she said, "I haven't hurt you yet. I've done nothing but help you." In a way, she had hurt him when she gave him to Nothing to extract the darkness, but she didn't see that as a bad thing in the long run.

Zexion gritted his teeth and looked away. "Fine."

She nodded and gently touched the area. Zexion hissed and gritted his teeth. Larxene might as well have jolted him when she was in a bad mood. Jexa ignored him and worked on pinning down the darkness. It fled from her, slipping out from her grasp and biting her when she got too close. Finally she was able to snag one.

_Gotcha_, she thought.

_Go away, _it said in a harsh, high-pitched whine_. We must finish what our master has begun._

She was a little annoyed at its answer. _I_ _thought we smoothed this out earlier._

_We reconsidered. Our master is more important to us than how much power he possesses. You are not superior in any way. We shall stay until this victim or our master is dead._

_Such loyalty,_ she said dryly. She paused to review. Either Zexion died or Riku did. The obvious choice was Riku, but if he was strong enough to inflict a mortal wound on the Cloaked Schemer, she had no doubts that he would be able to kill her. She wouldn't be able to help anyone when she was dead. However, killing Riku wasn't out of the question. She could hire someone to assassinate him or wait for someone else to finish him off. In the mean time, she had to protect Zexion. Since his disease was darkness, maybe light was the cure. She removed her hand, to his relief, and discarded the shadow glove, replacing it with her regular one.

"I need you to lay in the sun every day," she told him. "And don't cover that up. If you can, sleep with the light on and the covers off. If it gets bad, I'll have to take it out again."

"What's bad?"

"When it covers the whole wound and you're in agony, but hopefully the light will prevent that from happening. Oh, you shouldn't use Corridors, just in case that causes it to grow faster. Got that?"

Zexion scowled and nodded. Just because he knew it was necessary didn't mean he had to like it. Jexa gave him an empty smile and opened a portal back to the castle.

"See ya Zexion," she said. "Anything you need before I go?"

"Yes," he said without any hesitation. "I need my disguise if I am going to live here."

"Okay, I'll bring it to you tomorrow."

"No. Today."

She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "You forgot the last time I asked you," Zexion explained. "I need it, else Saix will ridicule me when I return. Can you retrieve it today? Here." He threw her a key. "It's for my room. I want it back later, and lock the door on your way out."

She pocketed the key and said, "Sure," then left. Zexion stood up and went over to the window, his arm still out of his sleeve. He wasn't too concerned about his chest; Jexa said she had healed him once and could do it again. What troubled him was the fact that she now had access to his room. He hoped nothing would be missing or out of place when he returned.


	11. Broken

She entered an empty Grey Area with the lights dimmed, a signal that she had come in rather late. Jexa renewed her emotion block in order to stay calm before moving on to Zexion's room. No one stood in the halls reviewing their work for the next day or chatting with another member, which made the castle much more quiet and empty than it already seemed. Some part deep within her didn't like the eeriness, but she ignored it. Whatever didn't contribute to her cause needed to be ignored.

_Idiot_, came a harsh, grumbled comment. Jexa stopped and leaned of the balcony that separated Naught's Skyway from empty air.

_You've never talked to me outside the Dark before. It's giving me a-_

_ Head hurts, yes,_ Cirix snapped. _Now get rid stupidness. Not helping stuff there for reason. See it later._

Jexa shook her head. _If it doesn't help now, then it won't help me later. Now go away._

Cirix howled. His voice became higher, clearer, and more child-like. _Jexa, you're such an idiot! Why can't you understand?_

"Wow, that was actually two complete sentences. I'm impressed," she said brightly as his presence left her mind. Cirix's voice normalized when he whimpered.

A Dusk stood guard outside the member's quarters, ready to attack whoever intruded. She waved it off alert when she neared it, but it wouldn't let her pass.

"Is there a reason why I'm not allowed in?" she asked, exasperated.

_Saix wants to know your whereabouts for the last few hours_, it told her mentally.

"If only Cirix was as intelligent as you," she muttered under her breath. Louder, she said, "Castle Oblivion."

_ He wants to know the reason as well._

"I wanted to see Namine. We had talked earlier and I wanted to know how things had turned out for her. It's been what I've been doing for the past few days after missions. Can I go to bed now?"

_ Saix would like to know why as well._

She rolled her eyes. "Nosy, isn't he? I told her I wanted to talk to her after I left to go back to the castle for a bit, but I never found a chance to talk. I wanted to know how things turned out for her."

_Why did you feel the need to do this?_

"What are you, a psychiatrist?" she snapped. "Tell Saix it's late and I'm going to bed." Jexa pushed past the silvery creature and walked into the members' quarters. She pulled the key out of her pocket and rubbed her thumb over it. Which door it opened was the problem. Most of the rooms' occupants she knew, but as for the others, she had no clue. Four of them, Marluxia's, Larxene's, Vexen's, and Lexaeus' rooms, were empty since the members were deceased, but two of them held Saix and Xemnas, two Nobodies she didn't want to see even in the daytime hours, in one slept Xigbar, who would be no fun to wake up because of his Arrowguns, and in the last two resided Roxas and Xion, who would be flat out annoying. Only one had Zexion's stuff. Jexa shrugged off her concern and started down the hallway. The first room she knew was Xaldin's and the next belonged to Luxord, but on the other side of the hallway was one she never entered.

"If it's not locked, it's not it," she muttered quietly, reassuring herself. Nevertheless, even though the door opened, she peered inside to see who stayed in there. Her breath caught, despite Nothing's gift. Xemnas sat in front of his desk, jotting notes down in an open book.

_Never again, never again will I _open_ the door,_ she swore. Just as she almost had to door closed, he waved her inside.

"I can sense you standing there," he said, his voice as deep and commanding as ever. "What do you need at such a late hour?"

She opened the door wider so he could see her if he looked back, though every cell in her body screamed at her to leave. "I was looking for someone else. Sorry to disturb you Superior."

"Why don't you have a seat?" He began writing in his book again, oblivious to Jexa's reluctance. In order not to offend him, she sat down on the end of the bed, tensed, as if there would be a fight at any moment.

"Is there something you need, Superior?" she asked, trying to sound formal.

He capped his pen and closed the book, fixing his golden eyes on Jexa. Up close she could see they had an odd, cold warmth to them, like the sun on a winter day, something that was there but would never become attainable. "Would you mind telling me who's room you were searching for?"

"Zexion's," she answered truthfully. "I found the key to his room when I was searching for Namine."

"Oh? And what sparked this sudden interest?"

She shrugged, feeling like a small child being chided for something done slightly wrong. "I told her I wanted to talk to her after she told Sora what she had done to him. I wanted to know how things ended up."

Xemnas rested his head on his fist, a small smile on his face. "And have you found Namine yet?"

"Not yet Superior."

"A shame." He straightened back up, looking disappointed. "Where exactly did you find the key?"

"On the floor in one of the basement rooms, the one the Organization mainly stayed in. I think Riku mortally injured him and Zexion managed to get back before he died. He had expressed interest in Riku before. I don't know how the key ended up on the floor."

Xemnas nodded. "Very well. You may leave." Jexa had to exert a large amount of self-control to not jump up from where she was sitting and dash out the door. "But before you do, I would like to ask you a question."

She groaned internally. "Yes Superior?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and shook his head. "Never mind. Now is not the time to ask, nor would you have the answer. Good night, number Fourteen."

"Yes, good night Superior."

"Zexion's room is three doors down from mine," he added as she was almost out of the room.

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you Superior. That'll save me a lot of trouble."

Xemnas turned his back on her, giving no sign he heard. She exited his room and walked down to Zexion's, rattling the doorknob just to make sure it had to be unlocked. She slipped the key into the lock quietly as to not disturb anyone, unlocked the door, and walked in. Books sat in neat rows in bookshelves arranged for maximum space in the small area. There was barely enough space for the desk, bed, and closet to be seen. Jexa had to squeeze between bookcases just to reach the other side of the room.

"Wha'dya doing here?" someone said groggily. Jexa kept her attention on the contents of the closet instead of the intruder, so she had no idea who it was.

"I'm looking for any signs that say Zexion was a traitor," she replied smoothly. Zexion had a whole pile of junk in front of his clothes she needed to clear away before she could reach anything. She would never have guessed that someone as tightly wound as Zexion would have as much stuff so disorganized.

"Can't you go to bed? I'm tired," he whined. Now she had heard enough from the person to know it was Demyx.

"As soon as I finish this, I'll go, okay?" She could almost touch it and did not intend to quit.

"Um, sure, but why are you doing that?"

"I'm trying to get something out of the closet," she growled. "Give me two blasted minutes Demyx and I'll-"

"That's a wall."

Jexa stopped reaching and backed up. It made sense that the closet would be an illusion to keep others out of it since it was Zexion's room. She still had to find the actual closet, though. Demyx didn't have any doubts about how to find the hidden door. He started at the bed, then placed both hands on the wall and started putting on over the other horizontally until he hit twenty-one.

"It's right there," he said sleepily. Jexa stared skeptically at the spot before she checked for a doorknob.

"There's nothing there," she said.

Demyx yawned and slid his fingers into thin air, what must have seemed to be a handle to him, and made an opening motion. "See, there's his cloaks and his disguise and the things he con- confin- took from people when they did something wrong." He frowned. "I don't like big words. Night."

"Night," she said, shoving him out the door. He only groaned as he hit the floor after one final push, too sleepy to care.

"There's nothing there," she decided after probing the section of wall Demyx had indicated the closet was built and hidden in. "But if not there, and not there, then where?" There really wasn't anything she could do, so she left Zexion's room, locked the door behind her, and went to bed. He would have to wait another day for his disguise and risk Saix's ridicule when, if ever, he returned.

Again, she opened her eyes to find herself in the Dark with Nothing on the other side of the room confined by tendrils of darkness, but this time Cirix was curled up in a ball asleep by her feet. He looked so peaceful, a change from his continually agitated state.

_Just once, _she thought._ I'll stay here with him just once. He always means well, but he's confused. I can show some kindness_. Jexa lay down next to him and placed a hand on his back before falling into a dreamless sleep. Cirix rumbled contently while Nothing frowned. To both, it was a turning point in their fight for Jexa's loyalty.

The next morning could be classified as a drag without the power spike she received the previous day. Even so, she was able to pull herself out of bed before Axel had time to fry her room. She cast him a poisonous glare as she left, but he returned it with a cheery smile, making her nervous. If he had something in mind, she didn't want to be within a hundred yards of him. Halfway to the Grey Area she realized she was upset with Axel and not being 'blank', what she called being emotionless.

_Cirix_, she called, trying to be as calm as possible. _Why I am being emotional?_

He chuckled and uncurled from the ball he had been sleeping in. _Increased emotions._

_ So you increased the way I think I feel emotions? That's just great. You realize I don't want this, right?_

_Yes._

_ Then take it back._

_ No._

_ Cirix,_ she growled. _Take. It. Back. Now!_

He yawned and curled back up into a ball. _No. You'll need it, be thanking me later. I'm sleeping now, have long day ahead_.

_Oh no you don't. You're talking to me and explaining why you gave this to me._

_ Don't know command,_

_ Cir-ix!_ she yelled, but he was out like a light. Jexa sighed and tried to stay neutral. Whatever Cirix had done would take a lot of effort to subdue.

Both Saix and Xion stood in the Grey Area waiting for her. Xion wouldn't look up from the floor, a fact that made Jexa curious, but she decided it would be better to leave the subject alone in case the answer set her off. Besides, whatever the issue, it was none of her business. Saix handed her a card with the day's instructions on it, then left.

"Very hospitable today," she grumbled as she read the card.

_Jexa,_

_Today you will be partnered with Xion due to the fact Roxas has to take care of a major Heartless and Axel has to explain where he disappeared to during the mission at Castle Oblivion. You must:_

_-Help her collect hearts by finding emblem Heartless and eliminating Purebloods._

_-Make sure she functions correctly._

_-Report back to the castle _immediately_ after you finish your mission._

_Saix_

She stared at the last requirement for several moments before crumbling up the piece of paper. What had she done to deserve this punishment? Staying out a little too late didn't seem like such a crime, nor had anyone ever told her to come back by a certain time. Already Saix had pushed her buttons with a simple look, one that said just how much he thought of dual missions. Like she enjoyed them either.

"Let's go before I blow it," she said, using all her self-control not to run after Saix and demand an explanation. Nothing's gift wasn't having any effect with Cirix's meddling in place. Jexa opened a portal and walked through, finding herself in Wonderland. "Can you work here?" she asked.

"Yes," Xion said solemnly. "But it would take awhile. I went here a few days ago."

"Is there somewhere else you would prefer?"

"Um, I guess there're always Heartless in Twilight Town."

Jexa rolled her eyes. "It's always Twilight Town." She opened a new portal and led her comrade through out to the Old Mansion. For a moment she thought they were in a different world, but then she remembered when Vexen had lured Sora to the same place they were standing on. The memory made Axel's treachery even more astounding, as she had forgotten he had killed Vexen along with attempting to kill Zexion. She looked over at Xion, who was staring at the uppermost left-hand window, just like Sora had done. She waited for a few moments to see if she could fall into the dream-like state she experienced when she watched Sora, but when nothing happened, she decided to stop wasting time.

"Xion," she said softly, jolting her out of her trance. "You okay?"

She nodded quickly, though her eyes said 'no'. "Yeah, sure. Let's get on with this." As they walked towards the woods, she gave the mansion on final parting glance to see if there really was a girl who looked just like her standing in front of the curtains or if it was just her imagination. Jexa didn't seem to see her. She didn't dare ask in case it was just another of her daydreams, but they were usually about the boy with spikey hair. Still, better to be safe than sorry.

Jexa slashed through the Shadows that kept appearing on the trails in the woods. The gloom and the constant fight with the Heartless brought up the memory of her battle she lost with the Neoshadows her last night in New York, making her even more aggravated. By now she didn't much care about how she was letting Cirix mess with her; she just wanted the day to be over. No emblem Heartless even showed until they reached the plaza and the Purebloods kept coming still. She stomped on one to let some anger out, but the Possessor clung to her foot and she had to scrape it off. She muttered some insults at Heartless in general and kept walking. This day couldn't get any worse.

"I'll get those, you take care of these," Jexa ordered. Xion avoided her gaze and gave no sign of understanding. "Just get the job done so we can go home. We'll clear out this area, maybe one more if you want to make Saix happy, and go home. Sound fair?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Good." Jexa ran towards the Purebloods, mostly Possessors and Mega-Shadows, carving through them effortlessly. More appeared to take their place, but she expected it. In five or ten minutes she could-

_Paaahh_.

Jexa's sword dropped with a clang as she whipped around to see what had made the strange noise. One of the many buildings was in her way, blocking her view of Xion's battle. It sounded like the magic cast by a Red Nocturne, but the Heartless Xion went after were Minute Bombs. They exploded, but they couldn't shoot fire out of their heads like the Nocturnes. She picked her sword back up and dodged a lunge from a Possessor, dismissing the oddness. Xion could have run into a Nocturne-

_Paaahh paaahh paaahh!_

-But not so many at once. Then again, she herself had stumbled into a horde of them once in Times Square. She kept destroying the Purebloods, chasing after a different group when she finished. It would be a bit before she would admit it, but the constant fighting was wearing her down.

_I'm not going to lose again, not going to lose, I will not lose,_ she repeated to herself. Who fell to simple little Heartless like the Possessors she was facing? If she even obtained a simple scratch, no one would ever let her-

_Chiiikk_.

"Xion, are you doing okay?" she called. Either she was facing Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsody, not a good combination to fight because of the elemental difference, or she was using magic, in which case she wouldn't be collecting hearts. The latter seemed so foolish Jexa refused to consider it for even a moment.

"Yes, I'm fine," came the reply, a little too quickly for Jexa's liking. She had heard children who were fighting Heartless for the first time yell back like that, somewhat defiant and panicked. What did Xion have to worry about? It was in her mission to make sure she functioned properly, whatever that meant, but defeating the Purebloods took priority over playing babysitter. Xion was a big girl. She could take care of herself.

Only taking out the Purebloods became more of an nuisance than having to ask Xion if she was doing alright every few times she heard magic being cast. Some Minute Bombs snuck in with the Mega-Shadows and flung themselves at Jexa in little twirling spirals. Even if she only blocked them they would explode, nearly setting her clothes on fire each time. By the time she and Xion had met up near the exit of the Tram Common she had just about run out of patience.

"Go around and take of the Heartless," Jexa sighed, massaging her temples with her free hand. "I'll go on ahead and take care of whatever needs to be taken care of."

Xion nodded and started off towards the Heartless that hadn't disappeared since Jexa left them alone. Jexa watched her go. She seemed to be on edge all the time and trying to keep a low profile, not exactly how she had been acting when they had first met. However, if she pressed the issue, then more time would be taken up and she would have to suffer with the stronger, fake emotions, which she didn't understand in the least, for a longer amount of time. Maybe Nothing would have a cure for them once and for all. In the mean time, she had to dispatch the stupid, blasted Heartless and make sure Xion _functioned_.

"What does that even mean, make sure she _functions_?" she growled as she killed another Heartless, putting more force behind the blow than she had to in order to destroy the thing quicker. "It isn't like she's about to fall into little pieces anytime soon. Saix is just an idiot, and I'm getting all upset again!" She breathed in deeply through her nose and kept on going, reflexively stabbing through the Heartless instead of thinking through each move. Just a bit longer and she could go home.

Xion caught up to her a few minutes after she finished off the Purebloods in the one section, out of breath and swaying on her feet. Jexa put a hand on her shoulder and eased her to the ground.

"Come on, Xion. If you pass out I'll get reprimanded by Saix. I'm already in trouble for coming in late," she said.

Half a smile made it onto Xion's face. "Yeah, I know. I need a second, then I can go on."

"Hey, take as long as you like, as long as you can _function_." She rolled her eyes and sat down beside the Keyblade wielder. "I can't believe Saix said that."

"Said what?"

"He asked me to make sure you functioned properly. Here." Jexa handed her the card with her instructions after smoothing it out. "Got a bit mad at the last part," she explained.

"Saix is always a jerk," Xion said, giving it back after several look-overs.

"Tell me about it. Talk about heartless."

Xion laughed. "I know. You know what I've always wanted to do? Just throw something at him and try to hit that big X on his face. That would be fun."

Jexa chuckled and looked at Xion to see most of the color had returned to her face and her breathing had normalized. "C'mon. The X-faced Heartless will kill us if we don't hurry up." She started to get up, but Xion put an arm out in front of her, a worried expression on her face, the same one as before.

"No, let me deal with the Heartless. Thanks for the help, but Saix wanted you to come with me because I passed out a week or two ago and he wanted to make sure it didn't happen again."

Jexa shoved her away. "Little late for that. It's been a week or two, right? You're all better now. Let's go." She hauled the girl up to her feet despite her protests. "There's a whole field of Heartless out in that plaza just waiting for your Keyblade. I'll take out the unimportant ones."

"No, Jexa, that's really not nessecary. You can go do something else while I finish. I do this every day on my own."

Jexa turned around and stared at Xion critically. "You really want me gone that bad?"

"No, it's not that, it's just-"

"Look, I'm not having a very good day, so I want to get this done. Now. Let's _go_." Jexa stalked off while Xion cringed. This was enough to drive her insane. Any type of Heartless could be lurking past the arch, so any type of help should be welcome. If someone else wanted to risk life and limb for your cause, you let them as long as you knew they were capable. Everything worked smoother that way. She didn't know what Xion had a problem with.

There were very few Purebloods in the area, mainly Shadows, so it would take very little time to take them out. Xion fought behind her, taking out what sounded like more Minute Bombs and Red Nocturnes.

_Paaahh paaahh paaahh paaahh paaahh paaahh._

The frequency of the magic being shot off almost melted it into one solid noise. Jexa had no idea how Xion could dodge or block it all, but she seemed to manage. A little help with weakening the Heartless or stopping their attacks couldn't hurt. She dispatched the last Heartless and turned around. Immediately she grew furious, her anger going unchecked. She didn't try to suppress the fake emotion, nor did she have a single thought of how wrong it was to be so mad.

Xion stood in the middle of a circle composed entirely of Minute Bombs, not a single Red Nocturne in sight, shooting off casts of fire so quickly she could be mistaken for Axel. The hearts escaped from the dead Heartless, but faded away too fast to go to Kingdom Hearts. Jexa, who faced Xion's back at the moment, moved silently towards the edge of the circle, then began slashing through the little Heartless as fast as she could. She stayed in Xion's blind spot until the Heartless were exterminated and Xion exhausted. She didn't notice how the Heartless had disappeared too quickly.

"Jexa?" she huffed, out of breath again. "Jexa, where are-?"

"Right here," she said coldly. "Good work defeating those Heartless. How many heart you suppose you freed today?"

Xion spun around, her eyes pleading. "Jexa, how much did you-?"

"Enough," she said just as calmly and coldly. Xion flinched. "Why aren't you using your Keyblade?"

"I- I can't," she mumbled, hanging her head. Jexa nodded thoughtfully.

"I see. Actually, I don't. Either you lied to be in the Organization or someone made a mistake in thinking you were a wielder. Then again, you could have just lost control, or-"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember how," she said, her voice cracking. Jexa froze, eyes wide. "Something was wrong this morning and yesterday I was having trouble and-"

Xion's words were drowned out by her fury. She said 'sorry'. How could she be sorry without a heart? She just spent most of the day pretending to be collecting hearts and the best she could think of to say was 'sorry'? There was no way she could be even remotely sorry. That didn't make sense, unless she wanted to make a mockery of her or didn't care at all. She had lied to her and the best she could think of to say was-

"Sorry!" Jexa screeched. "You're _sorry_? What is that? An excuse! What? You _lied_ to me this whole time, just when I thought you might be a decent person! No one is, not you or anyone else in this whole Organization!"

"I really didn't mean to," she said quietly.

She crossed her arms in order to keep herself from waving her hands around erratically. That would just look stupid. "Oh sure, you didn't mean to _pretend_ this whole time. You didn't mean to. Of _course_ not!"

"I couldn't tell anyone, I couldn't-"

"You couldn't tell anyone? We were just agreeing on how stupid Saix is a few minutes ago! You could have told _me_! I can't believe this! I can't believe you!"

Xion shut her eyes tightly, as if she was about to cry, adding fuel to Jexa's fire. "Please, I just-"

I don't care what you have to say Xion!" she screamed. "You, what does Roxas, why does Roxas like you so much? You're the most selfish, ignorant, stupid person I've ever met! I'm-" She stopped mid-rant when a revelation occurred to her. "I'm completely ticked off. I just lost it…"

_I was so angry I just yelled at poor Xion so badly I probably scared her into never talking to me again. How could I do that? That was about un-Nobody-like as I could possibly get. How did I go from hating every scrap of emotion to acting like I have a heart? I'm worse than Demyx. What's happening to me!_ In desperation she shoved Nothing's gift upon herself and Cirix in order to smother Cirix's alteration, but something resisted her attempts. She shoved harder and harder still. The anger still lingered, and those thoughts scared her. Both Cirix and Nothing were yelling at her to stop, their voices jumbled into one confused mess.

_It is not designed for-_

_ No no no no, wrong! Don't do! Jexa, you-_

_ Dearest, you must stop before-_

_ Don't, please listen-_

Their voices finally became unintelligible as she pressed the cover for emotions down harder. Nothing changed, no difference, only the exact same sense of anger. Logic began to seep into the mix, but her desperation smothered it.

_I have to do this, there's no choice!_ The resistance given by it doubled with each ounce of strength she provided. Xion was calling her name, but she wouldn't respond to her. She couldn't if she wanted to succeed. Any distraction would cause her to fail.

_Just one more push, one more, and-_ It shattered. Like a pane of glass, the gift shattered into a million parts as fine as dust. She tried to scoop some up, but it blew away from the little bit of wind her hand made when it came down. This all took place in the Dark, she was pretty sure, and outside someone was screaming horribly. Even with the sensation of being broken, it bothered her enough to step outside her head.

_That's me,_ she thought, bewildered. _I'm screaming_. Jexa clamped her mouth shut and staggered to the nearby wall. Xion stood behind her, paralyzed.

She heard Xion take a step forward. "Jexa, what-?"

"Go back to the castle," she ordered, her voice raspy. "I just, need to go." She opened a portal on the wall and fell through it on to the floor of the In Between. Cirix sat attentive.

"Poor Jexa," he said in a hushed tone. "All broken." He cuddled up beside her for comfort, but she pushed him away.

"I don't want you," she growled. "This is your fault. Take me somewhere I can stay for awhile if you really want to help, somewhere with little or no people, somewhere dark."

Cirix nodded and walked over to a spot, then sat down beside it. "Here. Dark Margin."

She pushed herself off the ground and walked unsteadily through the spot he had indicated, ending up at a nighttime beach with dark waters, black sand, and rocks serving as an odd but beautiful form of decoration. She sat down on the near one and buried her face in her hands.

"How could this happen? What's going to happen now?" she said, half-expecting an answer from someone, anyone. Already the dust-like particles had settled into her being, but she couldn't feel the effects of the gift. "What have I done?"

(/)

Back at the castle, Saix and Xemnas conversed in Where Nothing Gathers. Xigbar sat in his throne, listening in as a guest and another source of input for the meeting.

"Xion and Jexa have not returned for a whole day. Their mission did not entail such a absence. Should we send someone to search Twilight Town for them?" Saix asked.

Xemnas sat with his head on his fist, his face unreadable. "No," he said after a pause. "Let them come back to us. I am positive they are not in any sort of danger. Jexa has already returned to us once after a delay. We still have Roxas, so Xion's absence will not greatly affect our operations."

"As you wish, Superior," Saix said. He shifted his gaze to Xigbar. "And what might you add? Your mission did take place at Twilight Town today."

Xigbar crossed his arms. "They weren't there. Wherever they decided to party, it wasn't Twi Town." He shrugged. "Whatever. They left, they're not back yet, the end."

Xemnas smiled, although the expression was minute. "The end." A column of darkness engulfed him, leaving Xigbar and Saix alone. They exchanged knowing glances and disappeared themselves, meeting up outside the room.

"Xion can be left to her own devices for all I care, but Jexa's abilities require her to return," Saix stated.

"And let me guess, you want me to find her against Xemnas' orders, right Isa?"

"Find her. Don't bring her back. Report to me. Understand? You begin work on this first thing tomorrow. Have her tell you something about a world and call it reconnassaince," he said, ignoring the jibe.

Xigbar punched Saix in the arm, receiving a glare in return. "I like your style, moon-boy. You might actually have a brain."

"Just get the job done," Saix said, tired of explaining. He had better things to do than play around with Xigbar.

"Sure, whatever Mr. Smarty-Pants."

"If I had a heart, this would be the part where I say I hate you."

Xigbar grinned and waved goodbye. "Nice to know I'm so loved around here." Saix shook his head and left in the opposite direction of Xigbar. It would take twice as long to reach the members' quarters the way he was going, but if he didn't have to deal with Xigbar, then it made it all worthwhile.


	12. Unexpected Behavior

Jexa paced in front of the flight of stairs leading to the second floor of Castle Oblivion, unsure of where to go. If she walked up those stairs, her curiosity for where Namine was hiding would turn into a full-fledged search, which would take too much of her time. All she wanted was to know where Namine was hiding, but Cirix wouldn't provide her the information. It would be so hard to search every room, but if she didn't, then she would never know. Every room on the first floor already had been searched and that had taken more than half the day. If she didn't return to the Organization soon, then she really would be in trouble. She was supposed to go back immediately a day ago, but then she wouldn't be able to finish her search, or investigation as she viewed it. She had to go back, but she didn't want to, and she had to search the second floor, but she couldn't do that either. It was a vicious cycle with no positive solution. The indecisive frame of mind she kept herself in at that moment brought back the memories she had been trying to suppress for the past few hours.

When she began to stabilize while at the Dark Margin, the toll the day had taken on her finally sank in and she fell asleep near the shore. Nothing and Cirix stood side by side when she opened her eyes in the Dark, both of them attentive and annoyed. It was odd, considering how Cirix usually hated Nothing, though the out-of-character moment didn't take priority over anything that happened that day.

"What. Were. You. Thinking?" Nothing growled. Jexa hung her head.

"I didn't want to be angry," she mumbled. "I wanted to be calm. I pushed it too hard and it broke. Can you fix it?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "No, I cannot _fix_ it. I am not some kind of Nobody mechanic. You created this disaster and now you have to deal with it." He tapped his foot on the ground, the sound echoing and drilling into everyone's mind. "This has been a great failure for you, dearest. Try not to perform so horribly in the future."

"Yes Nothing, of course." Cirix growled at her submission and opened his mouth to speak, but something caught his attention and he lay down grudgingly.

Nothing's shoulder's sank a little and his tone became less stern. "Like I stated, it was very foolish of you to do that. There are others ways to become calm other without pushing yourself too hard. True, your darkness did interfere, but that is not a valid excuse. I expect an improvement the next time I see you." Nothing stalked off, twirling his cane the whole way. The two waited until he vanished from view before saying anything.

"This is your fault," Jexa said, sulking.

Cirix snorted. "I said stop. You kept going. Not my fault."

She sat down on the floor across from him, expecting a big debate. "You were the one who gave me these stupid fake things. Now I'm messed up. You even said I would thank you later for them."

He shrugged. "Never know what good til future. Man won't give info because you saved boy, changes some things."

"Zexion? Yeah, but he's-" She stopped short and glared. "You're changing the subject. You said I would thank you."

"Don't know you won't later."

"No, never will this be a good thing."

"Like said, you'll thank. It's good, trust me."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, sure, I'm ecstatic. It's so much clearer now that you've explained. My calming thing's gone and now I'm stuck being very un-Nobody. This is _great_. _Thank you _so_ much_. This is the best thing that has ever happened."

"Meant a 'thanks' without massive sarcasm," he growled. "Why you so mad? Not Xion."

"I don't care about Xion now. I care about being so damn emotional when I don't have a heart!"

"Not always going to be."

Jexa sat up straight, fully attentive. She thought being broken entailed always acting like a person, never like a Nobody. "What's the catch? There has to be a catch."

He nodded. "Never know you'll be emotional or blank."

"So it's always going to be one extreme or the other? That's great. Just wonderful. I'm glad everything's all sorted out."

"Luxord right. You have bad case sarcasm." He stood up and walked away in the opposite direction of Nothing. The five minutes they had spent together was enough to last him several lifetimes.

Jexa stayed in the Dark, her chin resting on her knees, with faint hopes of something coming along that could help her. The rational side of her brain told her to get up and go back to the castle while the side Cirix affected wanted her to stay where she was. The war in her mind confused her, so she stayed and thought. While she debated internally, a line of darkness crawled up her hand and curled around her wrist. Jexa watched it with little interest, but anything was welcome at the moment if it had even a chance of helping her.

"You're that type of darkness," she said after a moment. "The type that gave me power. I don't want power, I want to be whole again. Can you do that?"

_ No, _it said_. And please leave. I remember you._

"Oh," she said somberly. "I'm sorry to hear that you can't help. Why should I go exactly?"

_ I'm not allowed to say._

"Says who?"

It quivered from its place on her arm. _Just go. I will be eliminated for the help I have provided you. Go now before you become stuck like he did. He was such a good person, and now he suffers for his naïve mistakes_.

"Who-?"

_Go!_ The thread of darkness froze and shattered just like her gift did, along with the Dark, sending Jexa back to the Dark Margin. She looked around, startled by the sudden change of scenery.

_The Dark is getting stranger by the visit, _she thought. The beach, although she asked for a quiet place, almost seemed too quiet for the rage she still had. _It's almost as odd as this place. Any other world would have Heartless or people, but not here. It's weird. Then again, nothing's actually normal, especially not me_.

"It isn't fair, being broken like this. What reason could there be for it?" she thought out loud. She knew she wasn't going to get an answer, but when only the gentle crashing of the ocean waves responded, her fury rekindled. This time, however, she contained it. The consequences of feeding the fake emotions hadn't been wasted and she had no intention of learning the lesson again. However, the question of where to go still nagged. Returning to the castle while suffering the effects of Cirix's meddling seemed like a really bad idea, but sleeping on the beach for the night didn't appeal either. Twilight Town radiated too much happiness for her liking, Traverse Town was too depressing, and taking a break at any other world seemed to be asking for trouble. She flopped down on her back and groaned, ignoring the sand that mixed in with her hair.

"This is hopeless," she muttered. "And stupid on top of that. A Nobody acting like a Somebody wants to take a break from the only thing that gives her life purpose. Oh yeah, this is working out well." She scowled at the black sky. There really was nowhere to go other than back to the castle. If that was the road she chose to taken, then she had to restrain herself better, and with her current frame of mind, she wasn't too optimistic about that. If someone would tell her other ways of putting aside emotions, then she could return, but the pickings seemed pretty slim. Anyone in the Organization would give her a hard time, except Demyx, and Demyx wasn't a picture-perfect Nobody. Zexion would provide the exact same ridicule anyone from the Organization would give her and might use her confusion as an excuse to go back to the castle, claiming she was insane or mentally ill. A Somebody wouldn't know what she wanted to hear. Cirix and Nothing weren't being too friendly at the moment. She groaned and laid an arm across her eyes. No one could possibly of any help. Everyone she knew would either blow her off, misunderstand, or be of no help at all and just get her in even more trouble. Vexen might have been interested enough in her condition to keep his mouth shut and help out, but Axel killed him during the C.O mission. Lexaeus could have helped as well, and she could have saved him, but she hadn't known he had been assigned, although she thought it was rather stupid of her not to have figured it out. Everyone at C.O could have helped, even Marluxia to a point, but they all disappeared…

She bolted upright and opened a portal, muttering insults to her own intelligence the whole way through. The white halls of Castle Oblivion greeted her.

"Ohhh Na-mine, where are yoouu?" she called in a sing-song voice. Although Namine didn't act like a Nobody most of the time, she had enough self-control for Jexa's liking. Whether that control was from cowardliness or learned from experience she didn't know, but she hoped it was the latter. Namine was her best bet.

"Now, if I had a thousand rooms to hide in spread across thirteen upper floors and a bunch of lower basements, where would I hide?" She shrugged and started searching the first room. The basements were inaccessible unless someone knew how to use the darkness to reach a level, and since Namine stated she didn't know how to use a Dark Corridor during the C.O mission, Jexa had severe doubts about Namine hiding down there. No time could be wasted looking in places she wouldn't be. Because C.O lacked any type of elaborate décor, it was easy to tell that Namine wasn't in the room or the next one, but in the third, two doors presented themselves instead of one like the previous rooms.

_Cirix, I could use some help here,_ she called. He growled and ignored her. _Please?_

_Oh sure, now nice,_ he grumbled. _No. Figure it out for self. Bye._

_ Come on, I need to know where Namine is._

_ Idiot. Leave me alone._

_ What did I do now? I didn't even bring up Nothing this time! Why did you call me an idiot?_

He chuckled. _Still stupid. Now go away._

_ Cirix, help me_, she ordered.

_Don't know command._

_ Will you stop saying that!_ she yelled. He feigned sleep and wouldn't respond to any type of taunt or insult, so she gave up and went through the left door. After going through another three doors, she reached a dead end and had to backtrack, then missed the double-door room and ended up back at the entrance. For the next few hours she walked through each room, losing her way occasionally as well as her temper, until she reached the stairs leading up to the next floor. On reaching the flight she wondered how Sora could have tolerated the sameness of thirteen floors of Castle Oblivion before coming to the conclusion that there was no way out of the predicament she was in.

"This would be a whole lot easier if Namine would just come down the stairs," she muttered, then, thinking it could possibly be the stupidest idea yet, called, "Namine! I need to talk to you!" When the girl did not come down after a few minutes, Jexa shook her head and opened a portal back to the castle. It was ridiculous that she had spent so long on the search in the first place, but she really needed to find Namine and Xemnas acted like he wanted her found too, so her cause was justified in the eyes of the Organization, right? She took in a shaky breath and stopped in front of the portal. Until she found Namine she couldn't go back, but she had to go back or risk getting in serious, life-threatening trouble with the Organization.

"Jexa, wait!"

No way could that be Namine-

"I'll be right there!"

No way did she possess such luck-

"Hello," said an out-of-breath voice right behind her. "You called?"

Jexa turned to see Namine standing there with a smile on her face. "Seriously, you're here," she said, amazed. "How did you hear me from wherever you were?"

The happy expression fell off her face and had to be plastered back on again. "Oh, um, I-"

"That is enough, Namine," a voice scolded from a separate portal that appeared, almost as if on cue. A man dressed in red stepped out, his one eye showing from the belt wrapping around his head glaring at the two girls.

"DiZ," Namine said apologetically. "She helped me when I was taking Sora's memory apart."

"Oh, so she helped you take it apart, did she?" he said, his tone cold.

_DiZ, I've heard of him before. Whatever it was, it wasn't good_, Jexa thought when she heard his criticism. She wanted to take care of it badly, but she wanted to hear what Namine's retort would be more.

"No, that's not it," Namine said, panicking. Jexa frowned at her lack of control.

"Then what is?" DiZ snapped. "She either helped Sora fall into the state he is in now or she did not. Considering where her loyalties lie, I would say she contributed."

"No, that's not true. She helped stop his memory from falling apart," Namine said. If Jexa didn't know better, she would say that Namine was a Somebody rather than a Nobody because of how she was acting. Demyx would be of more help than she would.

"Well then, could she help Sora regain his memory, or should I escort her out?"

"I'm going," Jexa told them curtly. "I got what I needed to know."

"Which would be?" DiZ asked. "To what end would this small conversation serve your Organization?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're just as bad as Saix with your 'what's and 'why's." DiZ stiffened as if she had hit him, a reaction Jexa made a note of. "I do have a personal agenda, believe it or not."

"I find that surprising and highly unlikely."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and opened another portal, as the previous one had closed. "Look DiZ, I'm not having a very good day. Just let me go back and I won't bother you any more. I don't have a reason to come back."

He laughed, a highly mocking sound. "Did you hear that, Namine? Our Nobody friend here is having a bad day. I wonder how that is possible without emotions."

She clenched her fists and stopped in front of the portal. Whatever the reason was that DiZ shouldn't be liked she didn't care about, because she had found several in the past few minutes. "Don't push me," she growled. "Like I said, I am I _not_ having a good day."

Namine cringed while DiZ smirked. "Is that so? That's so intriguing. I can assume that all the other Nobodies are having a terrible day as well, then?"

Jexa summoned her sword and threw it at DiZ, who nimbly sidestepped the badly aimed attack. "Shut up Ansem!" she yelled, startling him out of his next retort. "You're like Zexion, too! You think you know everything! You think you're always right! You don't! You're not perfect! You're obsessed with the past! Killing us won't bring your apprentices back!" She stalked off, leaving a confused Namine and a stunned DiZ behind.

"Namine, go back to Sora," DiZ said once he had recovered enough to speak. Namine was smart enough to know when DiZ had been pushed to his limits and left. She had seen him angry once before, when he and Riku had argued over what was the best way to deal with Xion and Roxas, and did not intend to make him so furious. He never actually yelled, but the way he said things made you wish he did.

DiZ stood in the exact place he had been in when Jexa had lost it. Where did she obtain that information? The comments about Isa's and Ienzo's Nobodies seemed to have been unintentional, but the last few comments were definitely directed at him to make him upset. His reports did have some of what she said hidden in between the lines, but those papers had been scattered to different worlds. He was positive she had not been a Nobody long enough to find them all, as his careful monitoring of the Organization led him to believe that she was a relatively new edition to their ranks. Wherever, or however, she found those secrets, she and the source had to be destroyed, or else his whole operation would be in jeopardy. Riku would have to deal with her once they could find the time and place to eliminate her. It would be as easy to perform as it had been to plan. With this guarantee, DiZ walked up the stairs to the next room where he could use the globe to transport himself to the thirteenth floor. Of course, they would have to move their base of operations elsewhere, but after a little recon on a few worlds, he was sure they would find somewhere suitable.

The Grey Area's lights were dim again when Jexa entered the castle, so not only did she disappear for two days, but she was late coming back for the second time in a row, or maybe third, depending on how the Organization chose to view it. Again a Dusk stood guard outside the members' quarters and blocked her entrance.

"What is it this time?" she asked. "Whatever it is, can't it wait?"

_You are to go to Where Nothing Gathers immediately. Saix will accompany you,_ it told her. It began to leave in the twisting, floating manner the Dusks used for traveling quickly, but Jexa grabbed its arm before it could go too far.

"Wait, can't I do this later? I mean, it's late, and I don't think-"

It whacked her on the hand with its free arm, causing her to reflexively let go, and spun away down the hall. Jexa followed so Saix wouldn't have to walk all the way down the hall to fetch her when he was woken and become more pissed than he had to be. Halfway through, she noticed that they passed her room already, so she backed up and slipped in without so much as a click from the door closing. If her luck held, then Saix would be too tired and annoyed to check the room when the Dusk told him of her arrival. Her tiredness overruled the fact that Saix would not be pleased if he found out that she had tried to elude him in order to catch some Z's. She flopped down on the bed, only to be bounced off by a person who was already in it.

"Whaa- Who's there?" Demyx yawned, bleary-eyed and sleepy.

Jexa scrambled up and summoned her sword. "What are you doing in my room?" she hissed, getting ticked again. Everything that had happened in the past two days led up to this. What else could she expect?

He rubbed his eyes and stretched. "No, you're in mine. Where've you been? Xigbar went to look for you. He always gets the easy missions," he said, pouting on the last bit.

"That's great Demyx," she said dryly. "I'll tell you everything in the morning. Right now I'm-"

Suddenly he was alert, standing up, and pushing her into the closet. "In trouble! Saix's coming!"

"What? How can you hear-?" He opened and shut the door before she could finish asking how he could hear the nearly-silent Luna Diviner with the door closed while someone held the little attention he had to give with the rest still in dreamland. Still, she trusted him enough to keep her mouth shut and stay put. Within minutes she heard the slam of a door and the sound of a Dusk dissipating, although very faint. Demyx must have had super hearing in addition control over water to hear Saix. As she wondered how he managed to tell her to hide before Saix even made it all the way down the hall, she realized he had taken charge of the situation and set aside whatever doubts and fears his mind must have made up in the few seconds he recognized the noise he heard. He refused to let his insecurities take him over. Out of all the expectations she stereotyped for the members of the Organization, he fit the bill the least. Where was the scared, flighty, emotional kid she met when she first joined? When he opened the door, her eyes were narrowed and her head cocked.

"Who're you and what've you done with Demyx?" she accused. He took a step back and stood in the stance she had associated with his 'fright', but now that she had seen him act 'brave', it didn't bother her all that much. She moved out of the closet and sat down next to his bed.

"You're not the same person I met when I joined," she said thoughtfully. "You're, different. How do you do it?"

Demyx's face changed emotions several times before becoming blank again. "I dunno. I just, me, I guess."

"Hmph. I wish I was you."

He grinned. "Does that mean you're not going to be evil to me anymore?"

"For the time being." She rested her head on the edge of the bed, not daring to close her eyes in case she fell asleep, so she missed seeing Demyx wince.

"Do you remember the first day I was here and I was so upset that everyone pretended to have emotions?" she asked after an awkward silence.

"You mean when you, like, tried to kill me?"

She knew it was meant to be a joke, but she didn't want to laugh, and the very little control she could exert over that part of her fake emotions annoyed her since she couldn't make it universal. "Yeah, that day."

"I think I do, a bit. Why ask?"

She shrugged. "It's complicated."

He plopped down on the bed and stretched. "I know. This whole Organization is _soo_ much harder to deal with than what you think at first. I wouldn't have even joined if I knew. There's Saix to deal with, and Axel, and Xaldin, and Xigbar, and _pul-ease_ don't bring up Xemnas. You do one thing wrong and-"

"Demyx," she sighed. "Don't make me mad. You _just_ got on my good side."

He zipped his lips and threw away the key. Jexa nodded in approval. "I'm back to those days, except I'm on the other side. I'm too emotional and everyone else is calm and I have no idea how to do that."

His eyes widened in surprise. "But you're always calm. You're never actually angry, you just get fed up."

She shook her head. "That's the same thing." She hated how much her words sounded like a whine.

He smiled sympathetically. "No it isn't. Saix gets fed up all the time, but he's less, um, well, more heartless than you, no offense, and goes berserk. Xaldin gets fed up and stabs people. You get fed up and snap at people or do that controlly-thingy."

Jexa's jaw dropped. When did Demyx become a philosopher? "Seriously, _what_ did you do with Demyx?"

He laughed, then glanced at the door nervously in case someone heard him. When not a Nobody did, he said, "I'd be a bad recon person if I didn't even know what a Nobody was."

Jexa nodded and stood up. For the first time in two days, her anger died. "Thank you, Demyx. Thanks a lot."

"For what?" he asked, puzzled.

She smiled wryly. "For helping me."

He shrugged, the mystified expression still on his face. "Uh, sure, anytime."

Jexa left as silently as she came and went to her room. The confusion of what she should do still lingered, but in no way was it as pronounced as before. Both Cirix and Nothing left her alone that night for her peace of mind. They knew that anything they did could have unraveled what calm Demyx gave her. Their fight would have to wait for another day.

The first thing she saw the next morning was Saix glaring at her with his arms crossed over his chest. Her breath caught before she realized it was him and not Xemnas. She fell face first on the pillow in her semi-relief.

"So the Dusk was correct. You did return last night."

"Yep," she replied, although it was muffled by the pillow. She tilted her head so she could see him out of one eye. "You do realize you could have given me a heart attack, right?"

"Seeing as you don't have a heart, I find that highly unlikely, unless you found a way to complete Kingdom Hearts without a Keyblade, in which case I would very much like to hear your account."

"Nope, sorry."

He sighed. She could be as bad as Xigbar at times, and he still had to train her for a few days more, even though he didn't have to do those anytime soon. "We need to go. You should have been interrogated last night about your whereabouts and those of Xion's."

She pushed herself up. "Xion? I told her to come back here. Where is she?"

Saix shook his head and reached for her arm, but Jexa pulled back. The last thing she wanted was to be dragged. He let his hand fall and opened the door for her instead. "I can debrief you on the way to Where Nothing Gathers. Right now we need to go. Xemnas is waiting for us."

Jexa reluctantly slid out of bed and trudged after Saix. Once the Dusk had informed Saix she had returned and told her she had to go to the meeting room, she knew telling Xemnas and Saix what had happened was inevitable, but she still wished otherwise. "Can't I just go do a mission?" she asked. "Catch up on whatever you planned for me to do?"

"No," he said in a tone that meant nothing more was to be said about the topic.

Without the distraction of a conversation, Jexa had to check herself to see if her feet were scuffing the floor and if her eyes were open. The lights all stood at half-power, the equivalent of before dawn at the castle. Did Xemnas wake so early every morning or couldn't he wait until after missions to talk to her? Either way, she wasn't eager to get up so early again for anything. That brought up the question of why she woke so early in the first place. Probably Cirix knew Saix had entered and woke her up for whatever reason. Why on earth couldn't he mind his own business?

Saix stopped so suddenly she nearly ran into him. "Go in," he sighed. It was too early to start an argument or perform a lecture. Jexa couldn't spare enough attention to care about Saix and Xemnas, so she stuck to contemplating how to explain the past few days instead of worrying about the consequences of her behavior with Saix.

Xemnas sat in his chair with both arms on the rests and his eyes closed. Someone could make the mistake of thinking he was sleeping if they didn't know him well enough. However, Jexa was under no illusion that the leader of the Organization would fall asleep when a meeting was about to be held.

Saix came in not a minute after she did. Upon hearing both of the Nobodies appear, Xemnas opened his eyes, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Superior," Saix and Jexa said nearly simultaneously. The Luna Diviner gave her a glance that said, _be quiet if you want to live_. She obliged willingly. Xemnas smirked at their little spat. Many in the Organization never learned to get along and these two seemed to be prime examples of that. As long as they didn't cause major complications or take up too much of his time, he found it amusing to watch.

Saix had been waiting until he had the Superior's full attention before speaking. He didn't want to interrupt his thoughts. "Superior, XIV returned last night. How she evaded the Dusk and I puzzles me, but that she is here is the important thing." He paused, deciding on the correct words. "I am not sure about you, Superior, but I would like to know exactly where Number XIV ran to during the past two days."

"You would be correct in your assumption." Xemnas turned his gaze to Jexa, making her breath catch. He didn't seem all too pleased. "Fourteen, you comprehend that the consequence for deserting the Organization is elimination, correct?"

"Yes Superior," she said as loud as she dared without having her voice shake.

"Then I am curious as to why you chose to leave when you were not permitted to do so."

"I- I needed, wanted, to find Namine." She almost told the whole truth, but caught herself in time. It would be easier if she kept her story as close to the truth as possible, though she didn't intend to lie too much.

"Why would you leave to find her when you orders for the day gave you specific instructions to return after your mission?"

She shrugged. This was where the true test of how well she could lie would come into place. "I didn't think anyone would miss me, or that it would take so long. I thought that I could search one room and come back before anyone noticed the difference in time between me and Xion's return, but I found a lead and followed it. It was the first I'd found since I started searching, so I wasn't about to give it up." She stopped so she wouldn't ramble or mess up; there was simply no room for error. If the truth had to be told, then the Organization might destroy her because she was broken. Dying didn't place very high on her 'things to do' list.

Both of the men looked skeptical. "Did you find Namine?" Xemnas asked.

"Yes. She was in Castle Oblivion. Someone named DiZ was with her."

Finally the two seemed to be buying into her story, or at least they were interested. "Superior, may I ask Fourteen a question?" Saix asked.

"Of course."

Jexa pursed her lips and waited for Saix's comment. The amount of time he needed to form a sentence was unreasonable. Couldn't he just say something? He didn't have such eloquence when they were out on a mission.

"The reason why you had to return quickly was to make sure you would not run off," he said evenly. Jexa wished she could sink into the chair or put her hood up to hide, but she couldn't with the leader of the Organization watching her. Saix continued. "We need you here because of your gifts. You should know this. However, that is not my main point. What I would like to know is why you did not figure out where Namine was or what you wanted to know through whatever means you have."

Jexa leaned on the rest and stared at the emblem on the floor; without the effects of her now-broken gift, she began to get a bit nervous. "It's not, something I can control. It comes and goes as it pleases. Sometimes I get lucky and learn whatever I want to know, but sometimes, like the past few days, I get next to nothing." Her first conversation with Nothing crossed her mind, the one where he told her he tried to give her information in the form of a dream. "Maybe Nothing is in control," she murmured. Saix refused to accept her explanation, but Xemnas, sensing his unease, held up a hand for Saix to wait.

"This has been a time-consuming detour Fourteen," he said. Jexa cringed internally. "But it has proved productive. You located Namine, a valuable asset to the Organization. Would you mind disclosing her location?"

"She came to me. All I know is that she is working with DiZ and she's somewhere on the main levels, not the first floor, I checked all those rooms."

Xemnas shook his head. This whole business had been messy and unproductive. At least he when where _he _stayed these days. That was something. "Namine played too much a role in the proceedings of Castle Oblivion to remain with DiZ. She needs to be brought here before any damage can be done. However, the two should have their hands full with their attempt to rebuild the Keyblade Master's memory. For the time being, you shall be assigned to a world, one we located recently. We have reason to suspect there might be a candidate for the Organization living there."

Being given a world showed that they still trusted her. She hoped that she wouldn't fail again. "Yes Superior."

Xemnas smiled, chilling Jexa. "You may leave. Ask Xigbar for the coordinates for the world."

She nodded and left in a column of darkness. Saix and Xemnas exchanged glances.

"She is hiding something," Saix stated. "I know her well enough to tell when she is being honest. She has always been a terrible liar."

Xemnas nodded. It had been rather obvious. "That may be, but the information she provided will prove most helpful. Whatever she is hiding can be unearthed later, whether it be a treasure or a thing best left forgotten."

Those words weren't the ones Saix had hoped to hear, but they would have to do until she built so much on her lies that they came crashing down. He left in the same manner as Jexa, leaving the Superior alone with his thoughts.

"'Nothing controls it'," he quoted to the emptiness of the room. It could almost be considered humorous, the fact that she believed her ability might stem from a form of nothingness, his element. The way she said it almost sounded like she knew it as a person. Just another reason to watch her closely. That girl became more interesting by the day.

(/)

Jexa stood in front of Xigbar's door, trying to determine how much the small purple diamond would hurt if it had pierced her skin instead of going halfway through the door.

"Uh, Xigbar, I just need the-"

Another diamond shot through the wood, accompanied by a growled 'go away' from inside.

_How many life or death experiences must I go through today?_ She threw open the door and flattened herself on the opposite wall to avoid the barrage of diamonds Xigbar shot off. Every bullet stuck into the opposite door, and whoever stayed in that room must have been a Nobody no one wanted to set off, because Xigbar forced the diamonds to meld into it to hide where they had hit. The only sign that anything could have happened to the door was the slight metallic feel of the spots where they used to be. Clean up made easy.

A small headache started to bug Jexa. _Whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it,_ she told Cirix.

_Get used to,_ he growled. _Need me soon and for while. Special person not Nobody yet, barely dark._

Fed up, she slipped through a shadow into Xigbar's room, right next to his bed. _If he's not dark and he's not a Nobody, then why would you be of any help?_

_ I'm smarter_, he crowed.

Jexa shook her head. _We can argue about your point later. Right now you can help me with Xigbar_. She placed a hand on Cirix's head and took control of Xigbar, who was not happy about being woken up so rudely.

She pushed her bangs out of her eye, which, like always, fell back into place a second later. "I just need the coordinates for the new world. I'll leave once you give them to me."

He tried to shoot her again, but when he couldn't he groaned and finally opened his eyes, but only to glare at her. "Dude, you are _soo_ a mini Saix. Be gone evil demon imposter! Let me sleep!"

She scowled. Why did everyone insist on comparing the two of them? "I'm not like Saix. Give me the coordinates, Xigbar. I need to start on my mission."

"So now, at such an freakin' ungodly hour, you want to do the best for the 'Zation when, when you were supposed to do that three days ago. Where was that commitment when I was searchin' for you? It's not as if it would have taken much light a signal flare and said 'Hey, Xigbar, over here!'"

"Done now?" she asked.

"If I could shoot you now I would. As if I care what the reason was _you_ had to get your butt back here. Now go away."

"Really?" she said. "Are you deaf or something? I need the coordinates for my mission."

Xigbar gave her the exact same look Cirix would when he was about to call her an idiot. "If I could. I can't open a portal with my hands frozen, and man is it annoying."

"Darkness. How did you fix the door?"

"Space. Now, let. Me. Go."

"Promise not to shoot me?"

"Yep."

"'Kay then." With many doubts coursing through her mind, she released Xigbar's arm and stood in the shadows, half-concealed in order to make an escape if he decided one shot wouldn't hurt.

He snorted and opened a portal. "I'm not stupid man. I'm not gonna spend all day in bed again because you thought it would be fun to throw me around the room after I shot you."

She let him go completely. "What's it called?"

He rolled over and stretched. "What? No 'thanks for the coords'?" When she didn't answer he grumbled, "Shift."

He wasn't sure if he said shift or shit, but she went with the one that made more sense for a world name, even though it seemed to be missing a few words. "Shift what?"

"It's the name, hel-lo."

Cirix chuckled at her mistake. _Go. Not get any better here_. She rubbed her temples and took his advice, leaving the castle and ending up on top of a building in the center of a town, the beach to her left and a sparse forest to her right. The building, although several other structures were the same height, towered over the people below by at least fifteen stories. The city seemed to be spread out in two areas, a downtown where the buildings gave way to open spaces quite frequently, and an inner city where the skyscrapers were packed tightly together.

"Déjà vu," she muttered. "It's a lot like, my home world." Already she had forgotten the name of the place.

_Mission_, Cirix reminded.

_Oh yeah. Find that guy who might be able to be one of us._

_ Big city. Learn the place, then search. Easier that way._

_Right_. She glanced down to see if she could find anything that had any importance, but became immediately dizzy. _But not that way_. She threw her hood up and used a Dark Corridor as a shortcut to the street. A few people turned their heads to the sound of the portal opening and closing, but none took notice of the black-coated figure walking along side them. Within an hour she could find any major building in the downtown area and tell what its purpose was. Every building, she found, added its own contribution to the city; a few provided apartments for people, others held all of the convenience stores, a different set dedicated to games and play, and so on. The whole downtown area was a well-oiled machine, simple in its design and easy to maintain.

While she examined the layout for the last time, she bumped into a person, not unlike many times before. Just like the others times, he stopped what he was doing to see who had been so rude to not excuse themselves, but this time he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

"You! Child! Why aren't you in school?" he bellowed. Jexa cocked her head and reviewed his make. He wasn't tall, he wasn't well-built, and he wasn't toned, but his eyes shone with determination and stubbornness.

She picked his hand off her shoulder and dragged him into the shade. Before he could start asking questions, she said, "You'd look like you were talking to empty air out there. Now, who're you?"

He stuck his chin out, reminding her of the businessman whose house Zexion lived in, making her smile ruefully. "Eris Linder. Who're you and why have you dragged me over here? Why would I've looked like a fool talking to you? Why are you-?"

Jexa held a hand up. "Is there somewhere we could get coffee?" Back in New York, one of her favorite drinks was coffee, until the power went out and she couldn't brew it anymore.

Eris' jaw dropped. "Coffee? Why?"

"Everything seems better with coffee."


	13. Taking Notice in Darkness

Jexa could almost enjoy the cool salty breeze and the hot, bitter coffee, but enjoying anything was a mite difficult without a heart, even if darkness chipped in every now and again. She took another sip of her black coffee and smiled. "This is great. I don't remember the last time I had coffee. Funny the things we remember." Eris was hopelessly lost, but she missed the expression. "Anyway, this isn't a pleasure trip. I do have a reason for coming."

"Which would be?"

She draped her arm across the back of the bench they were sitting on. "To find someone."

_Mistake_, Cirix scolded. Before she knew how to react she found a knife pressed into her throat and Eris in her face.

"I get it now. You're an assassin. So the rumors are true," he snarled. "Well I'm not helping you kill anyone."

He couldn't see the amusement on her face, even at close range, since she never put her hood down. Everything he said brought her closer to her target, unless he was the one the Organization wanted. "What makes you think I want to kill anyone? That's the last thing I need," she stated calmly.

He softened for only a moment. "Liar! How do I know anything you're saying is true?"

"What reason do I have to lie to you?"

"You're an assassin…" His grip on the knife loosened.

She began to wonder what his competence would be as a member if he couldn't keep up a good threat. "If I was an assassin I wouldn't have been so blunt." _And you would be dead. You might still be dead._

He sheathed the knife warily, as if he still didn't trust her. Jexa didn't blame him. "Then why are you here?"

She swallowed another mouthful of coffee, then scowled; it had gone cold. "Can we drop this? It's pointless and not going to get you anywhere."

His jaw set. "What are you doing here?"

"Sightseeing."

"Sightseeing? There's nowhere else to live other than Shift. You can't possibly be sightseeing."

She grinned. "Let's just say I'm relearning everything I once was familiar with."

His rage started to diminish and sympathy took its place. "So, you've, lost your memory."

She chuckled. He made a story up for her. How nice. She hadn't known what to say next. "Yep."

Eris breathed a sigh of relief. "You had me going there, what's your name again?"

"Don't remember."

_Mission_, Cirix barked.

_ I'm working on it. Since when are you so dedicated to the Organization?_

"How about Kane? For a name."

She snapped back and thought it over. Call it petty, but she wasn't too keen on being known as a type of stick. "Spell it."

"K-A-N-E. Do you like it?"

"It sounds like a guy name."

"It can be, but girls are called it too." He stood up, his arms crossed. "It was my sister's name."

_'Was'. That means she's dead,_ she thought, her mind whirling. _He's sad. Cirix, what do I say?_

_ Sorry._

_ But I didn't do anything._

He started pacing. _Person getting anxious. Say it._

"I'm sorry," she said slowly, hating every syllable. Eris only shrugged.

"It's not your fault. I'm pretty sure an assassin killed her. That's why I was so upset when I thought you were one. They live in Upper Shift, so when you said you were sightseeing…"

Jexa nodded, although she didn't understand at all. His sister died from someone else's weapon and he blamed every assassin? How did that work? And this man, who seemed very ordinary, once had a sister who performed an act so extraordinary she became a target? Not likely. The pieces didn't add up. "So, um, what was she like?"

His hands balled into fists. "She loved everyone. She worked with children; she made sure no one became hurt during play and made up games. I don't think she could have hurt anyone. Every day after work we would talk about the things we had done or the stuff we wished we could change. One day she didn't return my calls. That never happened, never! I went over to her apartment and she wasn't home, even two hours after work." He choked back sobs. "She never, did that either. I looked for two months for her, hired a detective, nothing. An assassin must have taken her out, I know it."

So this guy's sister disappeared without a trace and without a reason. There could be other options, but an assassin would excel at killing or capturing someone without a trace. Jexa tapped the wood on the bench, reviewing what she knew, which wasn't enough to come to a conclusion. "Look, I remember enough to know where I live. I'm going to see if I made any notes about the assassins, or if my, parents, know anything about them. Thanks for the coffee, Eris. Maybe I can repay you later." She opened a portal to Hollow Bastion and left. Zexion must have wondered why she left without telling him.

Eris wiped the tears from his eyes. "Thank you Kane. That'd be very nice, and don't worry about the-" He turned to find he was holding a conversation with a bench. "Coffee," he said, feeling better with the closure. No footprints led up or down the beach, nor were there any new imprints in the grass past the beach. Odd. At least he had a friend who actually might believe his story about the assassins. No one else would. It was so nice just to have support. Eris began the trek back to Shift, feeling happy for the first time in a long time.

(/)

Jexa came out right in front of Zexion's house, becoming ticked off even before she walked in the door because she could see that the curtains were drawn over the windows.

"That better be an illusion," she muttered as she knocked on the door, then louder, "Zexion! Open up."

A hand shot out from inside and dragged her in, then pressed her against the wall. Zexion stood with his book open and eyes narrowed at the other end.

She tried to pry his fingers from her coat without success. "What, have I been away for so long you don't recognized me?" she joked.

He stayed cautious. "Where've you been? I would think you would tell me if you were planned to leave on an extended absence."

"Aww, we're like an old married couple."

"Your sarcasm is as bad as Xigbar's."

She threw her hands up. "Why does everyone keep telling me that?" She paused. "No wait, that's that I'm as bad as Saix with demands and emotions, but still!"

He let go of her cloak but kept his book open for good measure, just in case there was a plot she had failed to inform him of. "Perhaps the reason is it is true." Jexa gave him one good glare and plopped down on the couch. "Now, where were you?"

"I was looking for Namine. I've been looking for her every minute I don't have to spend with you or the Organization. Two days ago I found a lead and followed it. I found Namine and DiZ and, long story short, talked and left."

Zexion snapped his book shut. "I hope you did not give that little speech as an excuse to the Organization. Whatever happened, know you have the freedom to say you simply would wish to avoid the topic."

Jexa cleared her throat, slightly nervous. Had Xemnas or Saix figured out her half-lie? Too late now. "'Kay. Hey, we're going to get a new recruit, if I can find him or her."

The news of a new member didn't come as a big surprise to Zexion. Half of the Organization had been eliminated, so naturally new members would be sought out. That Jexa was the one the Organization chose to find this person did come as a shock, however. The process of locating, tracking, assessing, and changing said person into a Nobody was a delicate one done by elder members, not new recruits. Did Xemnas want to destroy the Organization? If so, he couldn't improve very much on his efforts.

Jexa mistook his confusion for curiosity. "I think I might have found him already. His name's Eris."

Eris. The name could be changed around several ways to sound decent with an 'x' in it, so at least that aspect of the candidate was adequate. "What else?"

"Well, he thinks his sister died and that an assassin did it. Now he thinks all assassins are evil. He has a knife, but I don't think he can really use it, and he believed I was something I'm not fairly easily."

He frowned. No skills whatsoever with a weapon, a life centered around revenge, and barely a will to speak of. "No," he said. "That man could not be the one the Organization sent you after. He would never survive the Heartless attack he would have to go through to become a Nobody. However, he might prove to be of some use." An evil grin crept onto his face. There was one good thing about people like that, a usefulness he loved to exploit while in the Organization. "Someone with such a weak heart, like the one you described, would be easy to manipulate. He could be used as a tool to find the candidate."

She stood up and walked into the next room. "True. I'll see what I can do with him. It should be fun."

_The curtains are open. Good_, she thought contently. She took control of him for a moment in order to check his wound. It seemed to be no better, but at least it wasn't worse. Zexion shuddered when she let him go.

"Why must you do that?" he asked.

"Just seeing if you're fine." She gave him one big grin and opened another portal that led back to the castle. "Later."

"Wait." She stuck her head back out of the portal. "What about my disguise?"

She shrugged. "Couldn't find it. Your closet's a mess, and Demyx showed me a different place where he thought it was. It was late and I was tired, so I went to bed."

He flipped to a page in his book where the writing glowed red. "Active illusions," he explained. "You're not included in this one. What you see in my room is real, while what everyone else sees is fake."

"But Demyx had a whole system of finding the closet."

He sent his Lexicon away. "It might have been an old illusion he tried to find. You can't see the closet now. Maybe there are some lingering ones I have forgotten about." He shrugged and left, giving Jexa the impression she was allowed to do so as well. "Oh, before I forget, I-" He heard the portal close and shut up. There was no point in talking to himself. He would finish the sentence when she was there to hear it.

Saix stood near the windows in the Grey Area.

"You're early," he said.

"Is that good or bad?"

"You shouldn't be back for at least another half an hour."

She sighed. "There's just no pleasing you, is there?"

"If I had a heart, maybe I could be pleased."

She tapped her foot, impatient. "Do you want me to report or would you rather I just go to my room?"

"Report," he ordered. If someone had to step up and be the mature one, she would definitely not be that person. No matter who it was, with the exception of Xemnas, he would always have to be the one to end the fight.

She hadn't believed that he would have asked her to go to her room before she told him how much progress she had made, but it was better to end the fight before it got started. Someone needed to take up the role as the mature one, and most of the time Saix didn't try hard enough. "I went to Shift and did a little recon before I found a person. There's a lower and upper city, and the lower city's buildings are all gathered together by the stuff they give people, so the place was probably planned. There are rumors of assassins or a group of assassins that have taken out some people, although I think Heartless are more likely. I found a guy I thought could possibly be the one Superior sent me after, but he's too, what's the word, weak-willed, to survive his heart being stolen. He still might prove useful, like if I need some info or get into somewhere, stuff like that."

"Good." Saix turned his back to her. "You made sure your identity was not known?"

"Yep. I never said my name and I never took my hood off."

He nodded once to show his approval. "Now, what will you do after this?"

"Sorry?"

"What will you do next in that world? You need a plan."

"Um, find the assassins, then see if our target is one of them."

"Perhaps _your_ target will be found there," he said, emphasizing 'your' so she would understand that her job entitled her to go alone.

"Sure. Can I go now?" She wanted to speak with Cirix; they left too many loose ends from their talks during the day for Jexa to be comfortable.

"Yes. Make sure your mission lasts longer tomorrow."

"I might even be late." She grinned when Saix hung his head. Sometimes being more sensitive to the actions of others and being able to react correctly had its perks, but the differences between Jexa and the other Nobodies still couldn't mistake her as a Somebody, even on her best day.

On arrival in her room, she laid down on the bed and put her arm over her eyes. The calming darkness ended an easy day wonderfully. _If I had a heart, then I would be happy right now._ She chuckled. _Now I'm sounding like Saix._

Cirix sat two feet away, one claw clicking on the dark floor. "Hello."

Jexa rested her chin on her fist. "You're not smarter than me."

He laughed. "Out all topics could have discussed, you chose that one?"

"It's a place to start," she reasoned.

"Fine. I know more, known when to talk, when stay silent. You fail at last two."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

He stretched like a cat, his dark gold eyes gleaming. _When did they become that color? _Jexa wondered_. Last time I checked they were just a different shade of black than the rest of him._

"Most knowledge obtained by ear. Ask right questions, let people say too much. Find things out quicker."

She rolled her eyes. "If you know so much about it, then why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Doing okay. Not great, okay. Need experience."

"I'm getting it. You can't blame me."

"Yes, but-"

"Can we get off this topic?"

"Yes," he grumbled, not too pleased about being interrupted when he had been words away from his point, especially when she started it.

She sighed with relief and lay down on her back. "Thank you. Now, why did you want me to complete my mission so badly?"

"End of mission good for you, know only that. Know little about Shift, nothing about target."

She raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? Nothing at all? I find that hard to believe."

He only shrugged, a little embarrassed. "Don't know why, just don't have info."

"Fine. I'll find out for myself." She missed Cirix's expression, so she thought he was withholding the information. "Last one; why, out of all the days you could have come with me, did you talk to me all day, and why were you so silent? You're usually very talkative."

"Making fun of me again," he huffed. "Not nice." Jexa chuckled evilly. "Besides, that's two questions."

"Just answer."

He growled. "Really liked 'please' and 'thanks'."

"Just answer _please_."

He gave her the smallest smile possibly to show his appreciation. "First one answered earlier. Second one, didn't think you needed too much help. Need more tomorrow?"

"I can use all the help I can get."

"That's the spirit!" Again, his voice changed to one more child-like but still hoarse and gruff.

Jexa's head popped up at the change. Instead of his normal, defined-possessor form, Cirix was jumping up and down in the shape of a Shadow. "What happened to you?" she remarked.

He calmed down and bowed to her, beaming. The actions were so out of character that Jexa couldn't accept them. She set her head back down and then looked back. Cirix watched her in the same form and with the same sullen expression as always.

"What happened what?" he asked.

"Nothing, I guess," she mumbled. He started growling again. "Not 'Nothing', but not a thing happened," she corrected. His growling became quieter but still audible. Jexa couldn't see a reason for the behavior.

A soft series of footsteps started up from behind the two. "Hello dearest," Nothing said, his voice faint. "I trust you are better."

She stood and smiled. "Much. I've learned how to deal with the brokenness-" She glared at Cirix. "-And I've been put in charge of a very nice world. I don't know why they did it, but I'm not about to complain."

Nothing appeared in front of Jexa and tipped his hat to her in a formal greeting, covering at least twenty feet in less than a second. The ease in which he traveled the distance presented no surprise to her, as Nothing behaved that way when he felt like it. "Rest assured, your time in that world, Shift, will not be wasted. A group of assassins living there can teach you many ways of darkness-"

"Can do better," Cirix interrupted.

"What?" Jexa blurted out, startled. He might not have liked Nothing, but at least he could show enough respect to let him finish his sentences.

Darkness flooded Nothing's face for a moment, both literally and figuratively, before being replaced by a grim, forced smile. Jexa missed the change. "Never mind. It is more important you carry out this mission that anything else. Only you can perform this task."

"Wow, no pressure or anything."

He chuckled. "No pressure at all."

She shoved her hands in her pockets. How exactly did he think she would do under such high expectations? Still, it was nice to be thought of so highly. "I'll do my best."

He shook his head. "No. When you try to do what you believe your best is, you fall short of your capabilities. Always try to do more than what you are capable of, and remember, you have darkness on your side."

Her eyes widened. Of course she had darkness on her side. Being a Nobody entitled such powers. The emphasis on it confused her. "I'll keep it in mind." No way would she forget it any time soon; it was too weird.

Nothing moved his hat so it became a little more crooked, satisfied with her reaction. "I'll see you again dearest. Good night."

"Good night Nothing." Once he left her vision, she squatted down in front of Cirix. "Seriously, you can't go around insulting people like that," she said sternly.

He sniffed. "Only him I insult. Everyone else remotely good at some point, at least. Not him. Always evil."

"Cirix, he's nice. Why can't you see that?"

"Not good!" he cried, nearly howling. "'Darkness always on side,' has to sound bad, just little, even to you."

She lowered her gaze. "Well, yeah, but that would sound bad coming from anyone."

"You're like Riku," he huffed.

"No way, nuh-un," she said, offended. She saw Riku as a true idiot, down to the way he used the powers that nearly matched her own.

"I can prove, want to see?"

"Sure."

He grabbed her arm gently with his teeth and led her through a sheet of darkness into a long, gloomy hall, a door with a Heartless emblem on it behind them and a round, medieval room at the end of the hall.

"Watch," Cirix instructed before she had a chance to ask any questions. "Don't talk." She listened reluctantly, resisting the impulse to spit a retort back at him.

Riku ran out of a dark portal, gasping for breath. "No, the Keyblade is supposed to be mine!" he shouted to the empty space. He summoned a ball of dark energy and flung it into the wall, frustrated.

A person dressed in a full-length brown coat materialized from the shadows, quiet as Nothing, his stealth impressing Jexa. "The Keyblade chooses its wielder based on the strength of the heart." His voice reflected the darkness he must have associated himself with so much to enter so smoothly.

Riku whipped around to face and fight the intruder, then recognition dawned on his face and he calmed somewhat. "Are you saying his heart is stronger than mine?" he challenged.

"For that moment, it was," he stated. The boy bristled. "But there is a way for you to become stronger."

"Tell me," he demanded. Jexa noticed the desperation in his voice. "I'm not afraid."

The stranger chuckled. "I did not imagine you would be. You opened the door to darkness back on your islands without hesitation. Now, you must open your heart and fully accept the darkness within."

Riku began to shimmer with a dark aura; he already had welcomed the darkness before the man finished.

_I think I could control him now without Cirix's help,_ Jexa thought, disgusted. _He was a challenge back at C.O. because didn't hide his light._

The scene changed to a different place, now with Riku and a lady with black robes, a staff, and green skin standing next to each other, Riku proudly holding out a black and red Keyblade.

"Maleficent," Cirix informed, motioning towards the woman.

"What makes this Keyblade so special? You said it had unique qualities," Maleficent asked, fake sweetness layering her voice. Even with such an impersonal meeting, Jexa found the witch annoying. She was much too full of herself.

"It can unlock people's hearts," Riku said, stroking the Keyblade tenderly. Jexa leaned forward, intrigued. He had become so filled with darkness that his voice had changed to one that echoed and was gruffer, although his normal voice still lingered beneath the changes.

"Now that's stupid," Jexa said as the place changed yet again.

"You've no idea," Cirix grumbled.

This time, Sora held a sleeping Kairi in his arms with Riku sitting above a giant, colorful doorway in a room which badly needed its pipes put back in the walls and the floors redone.

"The seventh princess will not awaken, so long as her heart is held captive," Riku explained, his voice still tainted.

Sora set his friend down gently and gave Riku a quizzical look. "Princess…? Kairi's a princess?" he asked. It took him a few moments, but he finally processed the last part of what Riku said. "Wait, where's Kairi's heart? What have you done with it?"

He smirked and aimed his Keyblade at Sora's chest. A spark of light appeared, nearly at the same time Sora fell to his knees. Riku jumped down with unnatural grace for someone his age, a look of scorn and impatience playing over his face.

"Don't you get it? Kairi's heart resides inside you. Now I shall unlock both your heart and hers, and be led into everlasting darkness!"

Jexa reacted with the same interest to the dark wielder's attitude as she had his voice. He acted too differently to be Riku. Something, or someone, was interfering.

Sora, however, did not see the distinction between the Riku he remembered and the one standing before him. The boys exchanged blows for a while after Sora gave a heroic speech about hearts, parrying and countering most of the time. When Sora saw a perfect opening, he swatted Riku in the side, hard, and the boy flew backwards, landing as a man with tan skin, golden eyes, silver hair, and a self-satisfied smile. The clasp holding the corners of his cape together identified him as an emblem Heartless.

"What just happened?" she asked after the Dark returned.

Cirix snorted. "Paid attention?"

"Yeah."

"Then know what happened. Riku welcome darkness, become little darker, darkness takes over. Don't be Riku."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of turning into a guy-Heartless."

"Ansem," he corrected. "Riku's enemy, darkness he fights now, works constantly to suppress." He turned his head to the side, hearing something Jexa was deaf to. "Learned what I wanted you to learn. Go."

"See you tomorrow, then?"

"Yes. Now go," he said impatiently.

"Okay, okay, no need to be pushy," she said. He nudged her side and she looked down, not to see him, but a silver of light. She took her arm off her face and sat up, blinking rapidly to grow accustomed to the light of the castle. That meeting took the place of the weirdest one yet with the cryptic messages and history lessons. Whatever Cirix wanted her to know about the darkness had to be wrong. Nothing already informed her that even she couldn't completely control the darkness; she knew held only a limited amount of power over darkness, so the point he wanted to prove couldn't have been to exercise control while using darkness. Nothing was right about the darkness being there, as she had Cirix at her side day and night, but it sounded like he meant a different type of darkness. It would take a more in-depth knowledge of darkness to tell what he was talking about, and since her very being and element were darkness, it qualified as one of her best ideas.

Jexa got ready for bed, throwing on some purple pajamas with cute little Shadows on it, and flicked the lights off. Outside the window, the dim light of the city cast patterns on the floor. Jexa leaned on the windowsill with a serene expression, content to simply stare at the lifeless place.

_There's darkness out there,_ she observed_. Is it like the darkness that's in me, the Heartless, and people's hearts? What about the darkness that took Riku over, or the door to darkness Ansem talked about? Are those the same? It's probably all different, and I only have to sort it out. Shouldn't be too hard_.

She tore her gaze away from the city and slid into bed. Something about that city she liked, whether it was the calm she saw or the darkness that made it up. Xemnas could have the white, blank castle for himself, she decided, but the city belonged to her. It was hers and hers alone, no matter what anyone else said.

That night she dreamed, but only of voices. She recognized Cirix's childlike one, but the other, a harsh, gruff one with an element to it like nails being dragged down a blackboard, was a mystery.

"You don't have a place here," Cirix argued.

"I have as much as a place as you do, if not more. I was accepted before you were even known."

"But I've always been there."

"Yes, but lying, deceiving, and manipulating."

"I didn't know any better then. The light hurt. I wanted to be free of it."

"What will you do when the light comes back?"

"It won't when you're around."

"See? You should trust me. You should be thanking me for keeping the light away."

"No. No matter how much I don't like the light, there has to be balance. No one can live in the darkness forever."

"Correction; nothing can live in the darkness forever."

"You've proven that."

The rough voice sighed. "Are you going to be like her or are we going to get down to business?"

Silence.

"That's what I thought," said the rough voice. Jexa imagined that the owner of it was smirking.

"Fine. What is it this time? Have I tried too hard to be a friend? Have I broken the rules again? _What?_"

"I've noticed that, you never severed the connection." A tinge of panic seeped into the voice. The last part didn't seem to be what the voice intended to say.

"No, no I guess I didn't," Cirix said slowly, nonchalantly.

"What! What were you thinking! Do you realize the implications of this! Do you know how many rules this breaks!" the voice screeched.

"It's not my choice when to or not to be connected. Besides, you're hardly recognizable in that form."

_Who's he talking to?_ Jexa wondered sleepily. _What're they talking about? _The tension in the air, which had been steadily increasing before, made the atmosphere static and tense.

"Adjourned," the voice said stiffly. The presence of the voice faded away, but Cirix stayed. Jexa could tell he was smiling.

_You're making your way,_ he thought happily. _You're finally seeing the bigger picture…_

Jexa woke up the next morning light-headed. She closed her eyes and laughed weakly.

"This is a change," she stated, unsure if it was good or bad. Headaches she could manage, but she was unaccustomed to the dizziness. Instead of the world crashing down, everything flew away. The experience she gained with the headaches told her that she should wait as long as she could for it to subside before starting on her mission. After fifteen long, boring minutes, most it disappeared. Only then did she dare to stand and get ready for the day. Sensitivity to light proved to be the only problem she had, which went away pretty quickly.

Once Saix gave her the card telling her what she had to do for the day, she left for Shift, arriving in the shadow of a downtown building. She threw her hood up and read the card.

_Jexa,_

_It is vital you find the group of assassins. Your target is indeed one of them. Beyond this, you must do recon. You may choose whatever interests you as long as it is beneficial to the Organization. Do not be frivolous with your time._

_Saix_

"Like I didn't know any of that," she muttered as she pocketed the card. "Although it is nice to be able to do what I want. Now, where's Eris?" She opened a portal to one of the housing buildings and walked in. Everything was in the simplest form and very homey; cozy furniture, light brown walls, little potted plants, and abstract art made up the place.

"Hi," Jexa said cheerfully to a woman behind the reception counter. "I'm looking for Eris Linder. Does he live here?"

The woman looked up at the guest to find that she couldn't look directly at the girl. Her eyes kept slipping off the black coat and the exact make of it was impossible to recall. She turned her attention to her computer instead and searched for Eris in order to push the uncertainty away.

"No, he doesn't live here, I'm afraid, but at the moment he's just one building down from this one, the Alibi, I believe. It's a law firm, the only one in lower Shift. He works as a lawyer. You're quite lucky to have such a powerful friend." She glanced back to where the girl was, a smile on her face, but she was no longer anywhere in the building. When she went back to her computer she frowned. Why did she need to know about this man? She shouldn't be searching people unless someone asked. The woman focused on her job, Jexa forgotten.

Jexa repeated the process at the Alibi to find that no one could see Eris without an appointment.

"Look, just tell me what floor he's on and I'll go," she pushed.

The receptionist, another woman, really wished the girl would leave without any information. Even if she failed to directly see the Prodigy of the Shadows, she could feel her darkness she radiated. It was oppressing and she hated feeling pushed down. "The seventeenth, but why do you need to know?"

"Oh, no reason," she said, visibly relaxing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the lady shudder as she left.

_Hey Cirix, what's her deal? Does she remember me or something? She shouldn't since I'm fully cloaked._

_ You're darker than normal, linked to me. Never disconnected from yesterday_.

Jexa groaned. _No wonder I was so keen on darkness last night. I'm going to get a wicked headache, aren't I?_

_ Yes._

_ Then why didn't you tell me?_

_ Didn't know._

_ Yes you did,_ she snapped. _Now I'm going to have to suffer because you were lazy._

_ Sorry._

_ You know I don't like 'sorry's. They don't help._ She ignored what he said next and went up to the seventeenth floor, finding herself in a long hallway with names plastered on the doors. She walked down until she came to _Linder, Eris_ and opened the door.

"Hi Eris," she said. "I'm just going to sit here for a minute. Keep doing whatever you're doing. Ignore me."

The redhead stared at her, shocked. No one was allowed to enter until visiting hours, which were two hours away. He refrained from asking questions because of the pained state his friend seemed to be in, but he felt the need to ask what was wrong. Even though she had asked to be ignored, he thought he would be a poor friend if he didn't care about her wellbeing.

"Are you alright?" he asked, true concern layering his voice.

Jexa lifted her head from her hand for a moment, one eyebrow raised in a mix of disbelief and amusement, though he couldn't see because of her hood. This guy, who she hadn't trust to give her name to, cared enough about her to worry about how she was. In Jexa's mind, that would make a normal person go all warm and fuzzy inside. Any attempt by a Somebody to make a Nobody feel like that, much less herself, amused her.

"Fine. Headache. Get them often," she explained, waving him away.

Eris went back to working on his papers and projects, not without reluctance. He wanted to help, but wasn't sure how.

"I've decided to be a little more honest with you," Jexa stated a few minutes later when the jackhammer-like pounding mostly faded. "But you have to promise not to tell anyone."

He nodded. "Sure. Hey, it isn't like I have anyone to tell."

This gave her pause. "What, no friends, no good buddies here?"

"I pushed them all away when I tried to find sis," he said, finishing up a paragraph on a report. "I know people, but I'm not close to anyone. No one in lower Shift believes in the assassins."

Jexa ignored the comment about his sister, although she knew a Somebody would probably talk about it. "And in upper Shift?"

"There, everyone knows there're assassins, but since no one can prove it, no one here takes them seriously."

"So upper and lower Shift are pretty separated then."

Eris stopped writing for a moment, confused, then recalled that 'Kane' had lost her memory. "For the most part. They're more industrious than we are and less organized. Crime is larger there as well. We're almost two cities."

"Then what combines you?"

He shrugged. "Proximity. We were built as one city, water, electricity, transportation, everything. We tolerate each other because we can't be different cities."

She noticed that he had forgotten all about her resolution to tell him about herself. He definitely didn't make the cut as anything more than a tool. "With that out of the way, I think I was going to tell you some stuff."

He pointed the pen he held at her, his other hand typing furiously. "That's right. Did you remember something?"

"No. I know exactly who I am, though you can stick with calling me Kane. I'm not an assassin, so don't ask again, though I do belong to a special group of, people, like me who are working towards a goal to become better. This place has become stuck in the middle of it, and I've been put in charge of most of our operations here, so this world should come out relatively unscathed. You're more involved than most of the people here since you're with me, but I can let you off now if you want." _I'll probably have to turn you into a Heartless, but don't say I didn't warn you. You'll still live, in a way_. She grimaced as the thoughts crossed her mind. Eris had done so much work for her. She really hoped that he would stick around.

He stared at her, wide-eyed in his disbelief. "Do, do your parents know you're having these, delusions?"

She chuckled, then winced at the pain it caused her head. "My parents have been dead for, two years, I think, maybe longer. My memory's a bit fuzzy since I joined the others." She got up and took some of his papers from under his nose to make sure he paid attention. "Look, you're obviously having a hard time comprehending this, so I'll explain it to you, but listen up. I'm only going to say this once." She waited to make sure his attention was on her and began only when she was sure. "If you don't want to help, I'll leave and you'll never see me again. If you want to help, then we'll work together to find the one person I'm looking for. He's an assassin, by the way. I don't need your help, but it would be very useful."

Once she told him that her target was an assassin, his mind was made up. "I'll help you," he said, his voice steely. "What do you need me to do?"

Jexa smiled and took off her hood, offering her hand to him. "Get me around, provide info, not much. You've already proved to be a big help today."

He took her hand and shook. "But I haven't done anything."

"You've told me things about this place. I know next to nothing about Shift."

"I see," he said, even though he really didn't get it. She had told him things about who she was, but now he felt more in the dark than before. How could she know so much yet so little about Shift, and where had that scar come from? It showed a harder life than he imagined for the young woman. He took his hand back and returned to work. Some things took time to figure out. Maybe she would tell him later.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't leave for another four hours."

She gave him a funny look. "I can't wait that long. C'mon." She sighed. "I really wish I didn't have to do this. Can't you just walk out?"

"No, I really can't. They'll fire me. You'll have to wait until-" A warping sound caught his attention, snapping his head up. Jexa stood in front of a dark doorway, holding a hand to her forehead.

"That made it worse," she muttered. "Come on. Let's go."

He jumped up and back. "What is _that?_"

"This? It's a Corridor of Darkness. Are you coming or what?"

"Is it safe?" he asked warily.

"Sure, as long as you don't take them too often. Something happens if you do, but I'm not sure what. I can find out, if you want, but it really doesn't matter." She threw her hood up and walked halfway in. "See? I'm fine. You'll be fine as long as you stick with me."

Eris followed Jexa through the portal, shuddering when it closed behind him. Dark creatures called out to him, beckoning him to come closer, to fall into the endless night. The peace they offered surpassed all other promises made by others, and the power, he could be powerful enough to kill all the assassins; all it took was one step off the path 'Kane' made for him…

"Eris!" Jexa barked. "Keep moving. This really isn't a place for someone like you."

"Meaning what?" he said, his tone more bitter than he meant it to be.

The exit appeared in front of them and Jexa had to force Eris through. "If you try that again, you'll die," she promised. "If you want to keep your heart, then you'll listen to me whenever darkness is involved. Get it?"

He would lose his heart? So she was crazy, but if she could give him once shot at an assassin, then he would follow her. "Sure. Now, where do we go?"

"I was about to ask you the same question." She leaned against the side of a building, reveling in the skyline of the skyscrapers of upper Shift. It reminded her of home. As she stood there, she noticed that one building seemed to stand out.

"Hey, Eris?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever actually been to upper Shift?"

"No."

She pushed off and opened another portal. "Then I have a target. Let's go, and if you try to go to the darkness again, you'll have me to worry about instead of the side effects of losing yourself." He gulped and followed her through. Hopefully he wouldn't be so weak again.


	14. Unearthing Interesting Secrets

Meanwhile, at the skyscraper Jexa noticed, two people stood in a meeting room, a dark-skinned woman and a person cloaked in white robes. The long, expansive room lacked any type of décor other than a few pictures on the wall, a desk, and a leather chair, which the woman currently occupied. Three tall windows made of bomb-proof, one-way glass at the end of the room showed a perfect view of upper and lower Shift.

"Zero, you summoned me?" The cloaked figure asked.

The woman formed a temple with her fingers and smiled, an expression few saw. "Melanor, you don't have to call me that. We are on a first name basis, after all."

"True Asia, but I would rather call on Zero when formalities are called for."

Asia shook her head, amused. "If you say so, but I will ask you to call me by my first name the next time you see me in private."

"As always Zero."

"Yes, as always." She spun her chair around so she faced the windows. "To get to the point, Melanor, I have word that there is an Organization member roaming around. Have your friends been doing anything that would notify the Organization of Shift?"

"They know better," he said with assurance. "Do you have any pictures I can see?"

Asia held out a photo, which Melanor stepped forward to take. "I don't recognize this one," he said after studying it for a moment. "Maybe Niran would. She spends more time with the Organization than I do."

Asia pushed a button on her chair. "Send Niran in," she ordered.

A woman in blue robes stepped in minutes later. "Zero, you called? I-" She stopped short when she saw Melanor. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Just because I'm here means something's wrong?" Melanor said, faking offense.

Niran shot him a look. "Either you've done something wrong or something's gone wrong," she retorted.

"Very true," he said. The two women could tell he was smiling beneath his hood. "Here. Do you know who this is?" He flicked her the photo, which she caught without looking.

She barely spared it a glance. "An imposter," she said. "It's a girl, and it's not Larxene or Xion. You can always see Xion's face beneath her hood and Larxene's coat isn't like that."

"That's what I thought as well, until I noticed the alley," Asia said. "One of our assassins had to point it out to me. It was the reason he took the shot.

Both Melanor and Niran took a second look at the picture. In the background was an alley with strands of darkness coiling up into nothingness in it.

Melanor whistled and punched Niran in the shoulder. "I can't believe you missed that, Master Recon person."

"You missed it too, Mr. Master Assassin."

"Stop bickering, the both of you," Asia said. The two snapped to attention.

"Yes ma'am," they said simultaneously.

Asia breathed a sigh of relief. "Better. Now, can either of you tell me who that person is?"

Melanor looked to Niran, who was studying the picture hard. "I have no idea," she admitted. "I was just at the Organization a week ago and there were no new members, and she would be a new member. See how the sleeves flare a little at the bottom? No one has that, and her shoes aren't heels."

"You could point out all the differences there are with this person and the other Nobodies, but you wouldn't be any closer to knowing who she is," Melanor stated, all business. Anyone with an Organization cloak, whether they were a member or not, meant trouble.

"Agreed," Niran said.

"Finish the projects you're working on, then find out who she is. I want to know why she's wearing that coat and what she's doing here and I want to know ASAP. Get Eclypse on this once she comes back," Asia ordered.

The two saluted. "Yes ma'am!"

Asia spun back around, grinning. "You guys crack me up sometimes. Your faces-!" She laughed.

They looked at each other, saw their severe expression mirrored, and chuckled. "And that's how we roll," Niran said, turning on her heels and exiting. Melanor, ever so serious, only folded his hands behind his back before following suit. All three shared the same idea: things were about to get interesting.

They had no idea.

**(/)**

Jexa dragged Eris out of the portal by his ear, ignoring his pained cries. She let go and put her hands on her hips.

"What did I tell you about the darkness?"

"Not to go to it, but it sounded so, inviting," he whined. Weak again, but so worth it to hear to darkness.

"Yeah, that's what everyone thinks before they're taken over," she said, her tone scalding. "You're lucky I didn't just leave you back there." He could disagree, but he kept his mouth shut. "I thought you wanted to find the people who took your sister from you."

The resolve came back into his eyes. "You're right. I need to focus. Where're we headed?"

"There," she said, pointing towards the building she saw in lower Shift. How she missed it on her first trip, she had no idea. It didn't stand above the others, it towered, beating the next building by at least ten stories.

"We need to be silent when we go. I can't have attention drawn to myself," she told him.

"Fine by me."

The two managed to squeeze through the crowded sidewalks with little trouble. As long as Jexa stayed behind Eris, no one bumped into her. They reached the tower within twenty minutes, staying in the shade of the closest building. On closer inspection, it topped her estimate of ten stories taller than the others, as she counted fifty-three stories, seventeen more than the next tallest. Jexa scanned it to see if there were any ledges or blind spots she could use to sneak in, but found nothing.

_Okay Cirix, I could use some help with this._

_ Can't find like this. Connect._

_ What? No. My head still aches from the last time._

_ Then go without help_.

She gritted her teeth and did it. _Now what?_ she asked, summoning him again.

_Send a Dusk in._

That's_ your big plan?_

_ Got a better one? All ears._

Grumbling, she summoned a Dusk. "Go in and find out what you can about the first floor. Don't fight anyone, even if they attack you. Report back once you've found a place I can portal, I mean, use a Corridor of Darkness to reach and infiltrate. Got it?"

_Yes mistress_, it said, then swerved off to the tower, causing a panic in the streets. Before it reached the door, someone from above them shot it down. Jexa looked up, but was too late to see the muzzle of a gun draw back into the window. She scowled. That hadn't been fair at all.

"This has to be the place," she whispered to Eris. "That fit the bill of an assassin so blasted well. My target's here."

"That's great, but how are we going to get in?" he asked fearfully.

"Give me a minute."

She turned back to her darkness for help. _Okay, Cirix, time to get down to it. We need to find the candidate, but how? A lesser Nobody will never make it in or out, so that's out of the question. What else can we do?_

_ I like 'we'_, he said cheerfully. _But really, control person, get in, look at records. Must keep records._

_How are records going to help?_

_ Must keep info on people. Names, specialties. It's a start._

_ It just might work. Let's try it, but I think I should control a person once I get inside. There are too many variables when I start out here. I'll just keep jumping from shadow to shadow inside._

_ Whatever works._

"Stay here," she said to Eris. "I'm going."

He grabbed her arm. "Wait! You can't! You'll be killed!"

She snatched it back and kept on walking. "Watch me live."

Outside the building, a notice was posted, reading:

_**WARNING! WARNING!**_

_Anyone entering this building without a proper permit will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and possibly beyond. Trespassers are forbidden to enter. Leave now if you value your life. You have been warned._

Even if anyone unauthorized wanted to enter, there was a card slot and a retina scanner that needed to be bypassed before the door would open. She had hoped just to walk in and shift through the first shadow she found since that would be a bit easier, but she would have to make do. Jexa shrugged, went back to Eris, and shifted through shadow into the place, only coming out partway. Very few people were standing around; most of them bustled from one place to another as they tinkered with their gadgets. Jexa watched the action for a few minutes before jumping out and sprinted to the next corner. No one looked her way, to her relief. She shifted again one floor up, shivering because of how cold the darkness was. Normally she didn't mind it since her temperature pretty much matched the darkness', but the two degree difference started to get to her because of how much she was moving through the darkness. Again, no one stood in the main room.

_This is like C.O.,_ she thought. _Might as well start at the top and work my way down. Everything happened up there at C.O. Maybe this place follows the same rule._ She went up to the topmost floor. Two guards stood watch over a doorway, both alert and ready for threats.

_Now this is more like it. So glad the universe is the same everywhere._ Excited, she moved into the room the guards were supposed to keep her out of to find a dull place, in her mind, not unlike a grey, metallic room that had taken design tips from C.O. Just as she was about to step out of the shadows, a woman swiveled the chair around to work on the computer, a device in her ear.

"Yes, I realize there is someone in the building," she stated angrily. "My top assassins are working on it. You know whom I mean! We're working on it as we speak. Uh-huh, yes." She paused. "Well, I would say he is ready for promotion in a week, based on the stats you gave me. He did find the person we think has breached security. No, not right now! If someone did, I wouldn't be talking to you. Look, get people working on this. This person has been in the building for two minutes and we still haven't caught him or her. Do you understand the full implications of what this could do to us? I'm glad you do. Now get off the damn phone and go do your job!" The woman pounded the table with her fist, ticked off on a grand scale. Jexa resisted the urge to chuckle and simply took her over, making sure to shut her mouth. That was one thing she had to remember to do when she controlled someone. Shock prevailed over anger for one second before her fury came back tenfold. Jexa moved out of the shadows, grinning like a mad fool. To her surprise, the woman could stare at her, meaning she could remember what happened. A pity, but it wouldn't stop her from having fun.

"I couldn't hear your ranting from outside, so no one can hear us, can they?" Jexa said, taunting the woman a bit. She tapped the walls, which gave off a metallic _ting_. "And only one way in or out. So how, oh I see." The array of buttons underneath the woman's hand showed Jexa how she would call for help if need be. "I'll just be a minute." She picked the computer off of the desk and, by chance, saw one line of the email the woman had been reading:

_My best student._

Intrigued, she read further:

_Reto, my best student, has advanced beyond all expectations, both yours and mine. His accuracy with throwing stars is phenomenal, his dedication to both his agenda and ours always stays steadfast, and his deduction skills have improved, although they are not yet on the same level as the rest of his outstanding abilities. He lasted a minute and a half against Melanor, a minute more than the rest. I believe he possesses the capabilities to be an assassin a full year before the rest of his class, and that is why I send this to you. Zero, please consider this._

Jexa clicked a few things, made something beep, and closed the top. "I think I got what I came for. Asta la vista!" She left through a Corridor of Darkness, leaving the enraged Asia alone again.

She slammed on all of her buttons, including the big red one she never touched. The windows bolted down and all exits sealed. "Get me Melanor, Eclypse, and Niran!" she screamed. "_Now!_"

The three raced in almost as soon as Asia had called. "We started coming up here as soon as you gave the alert," Eclypse said.

"I ordered you all to search for the intruder, not defend me," Asia snapped.

"We can multitask," Niran said.

"I have guard who stand outside for two hour shifts. I don't need your help in this matter."

"With all due respect," Melanor said, his voice low. "Your guards are not foolproof."

"They better be, or else I'm going to strangle them," she snarled.

"I haven't seen you this angry in a long time. Actually, I've never seen you this angry," Eclypse stated, taking off her deep purple hood.

Asia pinched the bridge of her nose and sank into her chair. "The intruder made it all the way up here and managed to reach my computer," she sighed. All three assassins stiffened. "I don't know what happened. I couldn't move and then she stepped out of the shadows like some kind of Pureblood Heartless. She read that email, clicked a few things, said she found what she needed, and left. I'm pretty sure it was that Organization imposter we talked about earlier."

Eclypse held her hands out for the others to slow down. "Whoa whoa, what imposter?"

"Someone with connections to darkness came to lower Shift earlier today in an Organization XIII cloak," Niran explained, as Melanor was having a hard time digesting the fact that someone had bypassed all the security measures and just waltzed into the fifty-third floor. That person should have been killed fifty-three times before making it to Asia's headquarters and encountered him a few times, which would have racked up a few more deaths.

"I never get in on the fun," Eclypse muttered.

"This _is_ the fun," Niran said.

"So glad I could join the party."

"Will you two shut it!" Melanor hissed.

"Sorry," they replied.

"I want you three to find this person and take care of her," Asia told them, deathly calm. "Drop whatever you're doing and work on this together. Melanor, bring in your friends if you have to. I don't care what it takes, just find her. I want her alive. Dismissed."

They saluted and turned to leave. Niran stopped and looked back. The others waited for her.

"Do you need anything else?"

Asia smiled weakly. "Yeah. Would you mind making me lunch? I'm starved."

**(/)**

Jexa stepped out of the shadows next to Eris and punched the air in victory. "Oh yeah, I am awesome!" she cried. "I just made it past all those assassins! What now?" She opened a Corridor and calmed down. "C'mon Eris, let's go."

He gaped. There really wasn't anything else he could think of to do. She just infiltrated the most highly guarded place in Shift without a problem and came out unscathed. Before he could shut his mouth, he was dragged through the portal and out the other side, back in lower Shift. He stared at the tendrils of darkness, slightly disappointed. He missed the darkness' whispering.

Jexa tinkered with some of the decorations on his desk, amused by there simple, repetitive actions. "Okay, so that's enough for you today. Thanks for the info." She waved goodbye and raced through another portal, leaving Eris alone and confused. 'Kane' moved things much too quickly along for his liking.

Jexa sat in the shade of the same building as before, watching the people flow out of the tower like ants. Several past her, but missed her because she was hiding in the shadows. She contemplated whether or not to go find Reto and finish the mission. She had spent enough time in Shift to go back to the castle, but she didn't want to go to bed, yet searching for her target while such activity took place didn't seem too brilliant.

"I know," she whispered. There was one other place she could go.

A minute later the light of the silver moon shone on her dark sword at the Dark Margin; she listened to the waves lap at the shore and admired the colors playing on the metal, a small, peaceful smile on her face. Another perfect end to a perfect day.

**(/)**

Back at the castle, Xigbar and Saix shared a rare moment where they weren't at each other's throats constantly, having a serious meeting instead. Saix sat across from Xigbar, a white table separating the two of them.

"Let me get this straight," Saix said, again going over what he couldn't believe Xigbar reported. "In this new world, Shift, there's the one city, correct?"

"Yep."

"And beyond that city there's a castle with people who shouldn't be there, including Roxas and Leon. There are others as well who obviously aren't from the same world."

His fingers drummed on the table, a sign of exactly how bored he was. "I guess you heard me."

Saix rubbed his temples, stressed. The other Nobodies could be incredibly difficult when they pleased, proving that you didn't need a heart to be idiotic. "Xigbar, Roxas collected hearts today. The Superior showed me the progress in Kingdom Hearts himself. There's no possibility he found time to be with this ragtag group of people."

Xigbar leaned back in his chair, his head lolling back. It would be so much easier if he hadn't found that world in the first place. "Look man, I'm just telling you what I saw. Maybe Roxas could have found time to take a side trip."

"I haven't informed Roxas of this world because there are no Heartless there."

He groaned. "If Roxas doesn't know about it, then why did I see Roxas?"

"You're asking me?"

He sat up and put his hands in the air in a sign of surrender. "I'm just reporting back to you. There's no reason to be all touchy."

Saix folded his hands and placed them on the table. "Do you think Jexa might know about it? I sent her to that world to find that person you pointed out today."

"Nah. I overheard one of those cloaked people talking about Roxas and I followed him. Those are the assassins, FYI, so either they would be very sloppy, as if that's the case, or we would be very lucky. I was lucky to hear them and find the castle _and_ get a peek inside. Do you know how many turrets I could see? Just _see_."

"You had strict orders not to have any interaction with this group," he said, ignoring the complaints.

He gave him a critical look. "Sooo, you wanted me to let this mysterious, knowledgeable-about-the-Organization person just walk out from under my nose? Chh, as if. I think we both want to stay on Xemi's good side."

"Xemnas," Saix corrected. "Beyond that, you didn't even find anything of great importance while there."

Xigbar laughed. "You call finding a whole group of people who know about the Organization a waste of time? Dude, your loyalties are way off."

Saix's eye twitched, showing how close he was to going berserk. "My loyalties are here, like yours should be. They do not know all about us. There was simply a person who looked like Roxas at this castle. Perhaps Ventus."

"_Right_. A person who looked exactly like Roxas with the Organization cloak and sparred with one of the other people using a freakin' _Keyblade_. And I would know Ven if I saw 'em, and he wouldn't cover up that armor-plate-thing if his life depended on it."

"You failed to mention those facts," Saix growled.

He shrugged. "When I said, 'I thought I saw Roxas,' I assumed you would make the connection. Someone's lost in the clouds."

"Xigbar, are you certain?"

"Yep, and it was our Roxas, down to the way he acts. I don't get it."

"That makes two of us."

Xigbar paused, then reluctantly brought out his cellphone. Saix glared at him.

"How long have you had that?"

"I dunno, a few months." He stared at the phone, refusing to look Saix in the eye. He really hoped it wouldn't be taken away. It provided so much entertainment.

"So this is why the Superior keeps getting texts."

"Yeah," he said quickly, eager to get off the subject. "But that's not the point. I got a text from someone in that world, like a week or two before I found it. A girl ended it with 'wrong Xigbar.' How could there be a wrong me?"

"I could think of several ways," Saix said.

He chuckled. "As if there could be anything wrong with me."

"You'll have to monitor this section of the world," Saix finished.

"Give it to the newbie. I have enough on my plate," he grumbled.

Saix shook his head. "As soon as she finds the person you pointed out, she will be mentoring him."

He rolled his eyes. "That makes sense. Give the newest member to the least experienced one."

"I can switch your duties with hers if you want."

Xigbar swung his arm out as if clearing something off the table. "Nooo way! I'll keep my overflowing plate, thanks."

"That's what I thought." Saix stood up. "Keep this strictly confidential. No other member needs to know of this."

"What about Xemi?"

Saix shook his head. Even when serious Xigbar had to joke around. "_Xemnas_ can wait until we have the complete story about what is going on over there. If you feel the need to tell him, it is not my place to keep you from doing so, but this is too odd to report."

Xigbar grinned. "I get it. You can run along. So says a superior member of our fine Organization."

Saix knew Xigbar was mocking both he and Xemnas, but he couldn't waste time on the annoying Freeshooter. Other members would be returning shortly, if they hadn't returned already.

Xigbar waited until Saix left to go to his room before dropping the smile. He knew exactly why Saix didn't want to tell Xemnas, when normally he ran off to the Superior every chance he got. Moon-boy wanted to find the extra Roxas and make the kid work so there would be more hearts, since there was no indication that another Keyblader existed and currently took down emblem Heartless. Whatever. If he stayed out of the messes the Organization made, he didn't care what they did, so long as they kept trying to complete KH. Having a heart again and being able to enjoy tormenting people really appealed to him.

**(/)**

Jexa stepped in the Grey Area, gave her report, and went to bed. She hadn't bothered to see Zexion, and he could wait one more day for his disguise. Another fight broke out between the voices, but this time it was muffled and she couldn't make anything out. The day had worn at her, so she didn't bother to try and make it out. Whatever they fought about was none of her business.

The next day Saix gave her a schedule change. Instead of going to Shift, she and Luxord were assigned to Hollow Bastion for training.

"I'm so close to finding this guy," she said, so hopefully Saix would change his mind and not send anyone to Hollow Bastion. Zexion might be found and then things would become chaotic and most likely murderous. "If I go today, maybe I can get him here."

He almost argued with her, but decided against it. He didn't want to go into it today. "Luxord will show you exactly how to transform a person into a Nobody," he said as if she never spoke. "There is an art to it, and you need to learn precisely what it is before you find him. Since that world is devoid of Heartless, you only have one shot. He won't know what Heartless are at first, and that will give you the upper hand. After that, things become much harder."

"But-"

"You're going whether you like it or not," Saix snapped. "That is a direct order. If you disobey it, you will be committing treason and therefore be eliminated."

Jexa's shoulders sagged and she opened a portal to Hollow Bastion to wait for Luxord. Saix's order passed the role he played as second in command to make sure no one did anything stupid; it took on a whole new level and became overly commanding. There had to be some motive for such action, but what it was escaped her. Luxord came in a few minutes later to find her sitting on the curb throwing stones at a square in the middle of the road.

"Let's go, Fourteen. We have work to do."

Jexa nodded sullenly. Besides the fact that Zexion could be found if she made one careless move, something in the back of her head felt like an itch she couldn't get rid of, a distracting, annoying feeling. Besides that, she didn't have an emotional frame of mind, nor a blank outlook, a fact that unsettled her. Didn't Cirix tell her that she would never be like a regular Nobody? Only when a portal opened behind her did she stand and join Luxord, although her attention still wasn't fully focused on the mission.

"Your hood," he told her as they walked through the darkness. She put it up automatically without really registering what he said.

They stepped out on top of a rooftop above a family of four, a mother, father, a teenage boy, and a young girl. Jexa winced when the light hit her eyes.

"Are you okay? There's more than one way to play a game if needed."

She waved this suggestion away. "I'm fine," she assured him. Another headache plagued her, but she was used to them. The reason for it bugged her more, since she hadn't been in touch with the darkness other than the Corridor of Darkness, but that never counted. "Why this group?"

"An unlucky roll of the dice for them, that's all. It could have been anywhere and anyone. That's life for you."

She disliked the fact that he kept talking in riddles and had to keep in mind Saix paired her with Luxord, not with one of the clearer-speaking Nobodies. However, she still preferred going with him rather than one of the others. "How are we going to do this?"

"Not like this." He sent out a squad of Soldiers down into the square where the family stood, sending the four screaming and running. Jexa watched with little interest. Why did they run instead of fighting? The man could easily overpower the five Heartless, and if his wife and son helped it would have been a breeze. Fear made people irrational, she guessed. That was one emotion she never wanted to feel again.

"So, are we going to find more people?" Jexa asked.

"No. However, before we start, tell me about your target."

"He's good at endurance and uses throwing stars. He's training to become an assassin and is dedicated to his and his group's objectives," she said, spitting out the words she memorized from the email.

"Long range weapons, stealth, and endurance. He certainly is a card we want in our hand. Stay here." He jumped down into the square. "I am your target. How would you use the Heartless against me?" he yelled up to her.

"You don't know the Heartless," she called back as she had some Shadows and a Red Nocturne surface in front of Luxord and a couple Invisibles float behind him. "You're an assassin, so you think you can handle this."

"You're fabricating false assumptions," Luxord chided, then ran away down the streets, coming back and dealing with the Heartless moments later. He looked up to see Jexa still standing in the exact spot as before, her arms crossed.

"You cheated."

"You only cheat when you disobey the rules of the game." He killed off one last Invisible with a Firaga. "In this game, there are no rules. Think outside the box."

Jexa pursed her lips and summoned three Dusks to hide in the shadows of the streets that branched off from the square with orders to keep Luxord inside, along with an army of shadows and one Neoshadow. While Luxord busied himself with the Shadows after encountering the Dusks, Jexa slipped behind him and summoned a few Samurai.

"Don't injure him," she muttered. "Surprise him and keep him busy. Let the Heartless attack him."

_Yes mistress._ They slunk off through the shadows and, while Luxord fought the Neoshadow, jumped him from behind, making a point of brandishing their weapons.

"Deduction is not one of your best attributes," Jexa told him. "You can face the best assassin and hold your own for a little while, so you can improvise, but don't go connecting the dots too quickly."

He kept on attacking, severing the heads of the Samurai with one card thrown at exactly the right time.

Jexa clicked her tongue. _That British bastard_, she grumbled to Cirix. _I'm going to be stuck here all day._

_ Freeze him just when Shadow jumps at back._

_ That's good_, she complimented. _I'll use it if he wins_.

Indeed, Luxord won. He faced her hiding spot with his cards fanned out in front of his face, so she couldn't see if he was smiling or frowning, mocking or disapproving. It didn't matter. When she and Cirix connected, she summoned one last Shadow and made it jump on his back. Just when he began to turn, she took control of him, rendering him frozen. If he had a heart, the Heartless would have had ample time to steal it. Jexa let him go and stepped through the darkness, away from the elder member.

Luxord cracked his neck, a little disturbed by how Jexa performed the exercise. Sure, it would work, but that didn't mean the trick needed to be performed on him.

He organized his cards into a deck and stuck them in his pocket. "Well played. That will suffice to give you the advantage you need." He didn't notice that she already left and wouldn't have cared if he knew. He had several hours to find someone to play cards with and earn some munny. No one in the Organization would play since they knew how exceptional he was at any card game, so he spent his free time playing people in other worlds. So far, he never lost a game.


	15. If Only Things Were That Simple

Jexa returned to the castle, sifted through Zexion's junk, found his disguise, and went back to Hollow Bastion. She entered his house without knocking and dropped his clothes on the table unceremoniously.

"Bye Zexion."

"Leaving so soon?" he asked from the other room. Even if she hadn't spoken, her dark scent would have told him that she entered and not an intruder, so he hadn't wasted time preparing for an attack. "You usually stay for a short period of time."

"Yeah. I wanted to go to a world I'm working on," she said briskly. Reto, Reto, Reto, he had occupied her thoughts all day. Sure, his report spoke for itself, but what was the guy like? How did he fight, how old was he, how did he act? Her list of questions never ended.

She heard him turn a page. "The world with the potential member. Why aren't you there now? Surely you did not stop by simply to deliver what I asked."

She wanted him to shut up so she could leave, but she didn't want to offend him in case he started another fight. "My mission was here. I had to learn how to make sure I could get his heart."

"'His'. So you found the person?"

"Yeah. He's training to be an assassin and he's pretty good. Can I go now?"

He closed his Lexicon with a snap, entering the room just as she put her hand on the door handle. "Answer a question first."

"So now we're playing games?" she asked. "My mission was with Luxord. I've been playing games all day. I would like to leave, Zexion."

He gently led her away from the door, which she allowed only because she didn't want to injure him more. "In a moment. My question is this: why would you be sent here for a mission and then go to another world to complete a mission not given to you yet? Why not take a break or be sent on that mission in the first place?"

"I'm not really allowed to go," she confided. "I just want to get this over with."

A hint of a smirk played on his face. "Normally the Organization doesn't work to create a Nobody. Xemnas would rather we used our time for something more productive while the Heartless can try to steal the heart of an individual we've labeled. I wonder if this is a new tactic, making Nobodies instead of searching for them."

"Do you have a point?" she snapped. She hated it when he rambled, or anyone else for that matter. If they had something to say, they needed to say it, especially now when she had something important to do.

He put his fist to his lips to hide the smile. "Most of us remember how we became a Nobody. Do you?"

"Yes." The night when the Neoshadows attacked her claimed the spot of the only clear memory she had. The pack behavior of the Heartless still made no sense.

"You were targeted to be made a Nobody as well," he informed her.

She shrugged him off and distanced herself from him. The news came as a bit of a shock. She thought she became a Nobody by chance, not because the Organization decided she would be welcomed in their ranks as an asset. It didn't faze her, although she knew she would have been happier if she had a heart. In fact, that realization made her more determined not to let it change her attitude. "Ah." What Zexion said explained nothing, but she would go along with it to keep Zexion talking. That's what Cirix told her to do. Maybe he was right for once.

"You're uncomfortable with having to do this, so you try to finish the task without delay as to relieve the sensation," he said, his tone taking on the explaining form when he wanted to say something that would take a long time.

"Maybe that's it. Good job Zexion. Have a nice day," she said, hopefully cutting him short.

_Seriously, he thinks I care if this guy loses his heart? I thought he wasn't for all of that 'we still have a heart' like Demyx is._ Again, she went to open the door, but Zexion's guesses cut her off.

"Unless, of course, someone is influencing your decision making."

She shut it with a slam. How many hints did she have to drop before he would get the point? "Zexion, make up your mind. Am I my own person or not?"

A muffled British voice entered the room, complaining about unfriendly locals, causing both Nobodies to pause. Zexion froze because he recognized Luxord's voice; Jexa followed suit only because it gave her time to think and take a break from Zexion's interrogations. Normally she would freak out over the closeness of an Organization member to the Cloaked Schemer, but Shift took the place of caution. The sooner she got there, the better. For a second she noticed the change in attitude, which only served to make her want to leave quicker. Everything took a backseat to Shift. Suddenly leaving Zexion's through the door seemed like an incredible waste of time when it would be far easier to Corridor out.

"I am trying to figure that out myself," he continued. His eyes narrowed in thought. "Since I've known you, you've never followed the Organization's rules to the letter, but you never strayed when you could help it. I don't believe you would disobey a direct order unless you absolutely had to. This is not one of those ultimatum cases."

She let out one long breath. _Just leave me alone!_

"Zexion, you don't know me that well," she said sharply. "We were only on one mission together and then you had to leave the Organization."

"Once my wound heals, I will return. Do not fool yourself into thinking this is a permanent vacation." Jexa pressed her lips together, ready for an argument, but Zexion continued. "Besides, I do know you. You came by every day, you fought me, and you saved my life. I think that would bond people somewhat."

Jexa didn't say anything. Zexion could be happy with his belief that he knew her. No one knew her. No one knew what happened inside her head, one of the few things that greatly impacted her tightly controlled life. As long as she kept that secret, no one could really understand anything.

"So which is it, Fourteen?" he asked when she didn't respond. "Are you uncomfortable with how your past and present collide, or are you being controlled by another?"

She looked away. "Neither. I just want to finish."

"There's a reason for everything."

"Augh! Do you have to have a reason for everything?" she shouted, throwing her hands up. The confrontation reminded her of the ones she held with Saix on a weekly basis at the castle, except she couldn't throw Zexion off with a snippet of things to come, a pity in her mind.

"I only want to know why you would dare to cross the Organization," he explained calmly.

"Treason, he said it would be treason if I went to Shift," she said, beginning to pace. "But I just want to get the job done."

Zexion watched her impassively. "Are you uncomfortable with this mission? Answer carefully."

"No," she growled. "It's fine. I don't care what happened to me when I was a Somebody or how his Somebody life is about to end the same way. It makes no difference."

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you that you're about to take the future from an innocent person?"

This did give her pause. "A little, but I could wait an hour or a year to carry it out."

"Then why are you so intent on doing this job, which you are not allowed to do right now, at this very minute?" he pushed.

"I don't know!" she snapped. "I don't know," she said, quieter this time. "I just have to do this."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "You can wait another day. Go back to the castle and sort it out."

"Alright," she said, shrugging him off and opening a portal back. "Thanks, I guess." The 'why's' still floated through her head, but she suppressed them. She didn't want to have to deal with another problem. Any sensation could be controlled without a heart, even one as overbearing as the one for her return to Shift.

"There's nothing to thank me for. I only helped you to clarify what you should have figured out on your own."

She nodded and left. So she should analyze all of her decisions to make sure they were the right ones? It seemed like a lot of work, but if it kept her out of trouble, then it would pay off. Still, she skimped out on making plans to figure out how to turn the idea into action.

Saix entered the Grey Area only a few minutes before Jexa did. Internally, he groaned. Out of all the members he could have come early for, it had to be his former apprentice. She managed to get on his nerves just by standing; he perceived her to be insolent and a wild card, neither things he would have in a member.

"Luxord trained me. He showed me a way not to do it, we worked through the kinks in my plan, and we finished," she said as she walked past him.

Saix nearly sent her on another mission but decided to postpone her next visit to Shift by another day instead. She had been intent on going earlier, so he knew it to be a fitting punishment for returning so early after he warned her a day ago.

Jexa fell down onto her bed face first, shutting her eyes and seeing Nothing in the Dark. His top hat sat next to him on the floor, his cane bouncing on the smooth, black surface in a rhythmic pattern. He watched the end go up and down and showed no sign that he noticed that Jexa sat next to him.

"Hey."

"You should have gone to Shift," he said, monotone.

"I wanted to, but Zexion-"

"Talked you out of it, I know." One bounce of the cane flew higher than the others, a sign of his irritation. "Dearest, at least you could choose whom to side with, either myself or your darkness."

She drew back, slightly shocked by the demand. "Where did that come from?"

He sighed. "Your darkness and I have different goals, and each of us desires to have his end reached first. There cannot be a tie or a close call. It must be one or the other."

Jexa noticed the plastered serenity on his face, as if he really wanted to say something else or word what he said differently. "Can't you meet midway?"

His eyes flared with dark fire. "There can be no compromise."

She knew nothing could change his mind once made up, so she returned to the original topic. "Do I have to choose?"

He paused. "No, I guess not. However, I could inform you of more if you chose to side with me."

She rubbed her hand against the dark surface, watching the swirling shapes follow her hand. Sides meant they were having an argument, and no compromise meant a war. Her mind drifted to the dream two nights back when she heard Cirix talking with someone else, but Nothing's voice didn't sound like that at all. Still, if they fought, then possibly Nothing could be the mysterious voice she had heard. She made a mental note to ask Cirix later.

"I don't think I need to know very much," she said when she felt Nothing's gaze boring into her. "As long as I know when the Organization members are going to die, things will be fine." Even she noticed the lack of certainty in her voice.

The tapping of the cane became lower and faster, then stopped. "There is a way to destroy that doubt," she said, his voice taking on a kinder, softer element. "Come. I will show you everything you need to know without the usual side effects. The future changes every moment, but many things stay the same. You shall see, and once you do, I will explain and you will understand."

He sounded certain about everything, her, what she would see, and what she would think. Why did he assume he knew everything? She looked over to see his hand open, willing to take hers, and an angelic smile on his face. It would have been the picture of innocence if not for the black eyes in which darkness seemed to swirl and carry everything into oblivion. Darkness, however, was her domain, and so it did not disturb her. How could he, darkness embodied, pose a threat, when she delved so deeply in darkness? The idea held no ground. She reached out to take his hand and let him show her whatever it was he wanted her to see. Cirix showed her things all the time, so it couldn't be a big deal.

"Don't!" The child-like voice made her turn around, curious and angry that Cirix came to interfere once again. "Jexa, no!"

"What now?" she snapped at Cirix, now in his Shadow-form, showing that her previous sighting had not been an illusion. "Cirix, I don't have time for this."

His antennae folded back on his head and his golden eyes widened. "You can't! You just can't!"

"Why not?"

"Why did he want you to go to Shift so bad?"

His response was feeble, but it made her think. Why did he want her to go? Her mind revolved around Shift all day, and since he could read minds, he would know, but the first thing he said to her always turned out to be the most important. He wouldn't have mentioned it if it hadn't held some significance.

She gave her attention back to Nothing. "Why did you want me to go?"

He plastered his smile back on, his hand still offered. "It is not important. Why don't I show you an event?"

She looked from one to the other, increasingly frustrated. No answers came from spats like this one. "Can either of you tell me why I wanted to go so bad, because I don't obsess over little things like that."

Nothing stood up, scowling. "If not for Zexion, you would have gone. I knew he would-" He stopped short, fed up, and stalked off, despite Jexa's calls.

"Now look what you've done," she said, sulking. "I don't know what he wanted to show me."

Cirix flopped on his back in relief, still in Shadow form. "Thank goodness. You didn't want to see that."

"Yes I did."

"No, you didn't," he said gravely.

Jexa despised 'yes, no, yes, no,' arguments, so she left it alone. "Why are you a Shadow?"

He propped himself up on his elbows, a funny position to see a Shadow in. "Because you didn't go with Nothing. I think I panicked first and that triggered it."

Jexa stared up into the eternal night. So he wouldn't have been a Shadow if things turned out differently, one way or another? What was the correlation between the two events? "At least you're talking properly," she said, taking her mind off the question.

"While Shadow, yes. Can't keep that form long. Sorry."

She groaned. "I hate 'sorry's', and I wish you would take that form back."

"Maybe by time you go with Sora I keep it."

"Fine. I'll take that. So, I think I've kept this question long enough. Someone's going to get hurt if I don't ask." Everything in the Dark held its breath when she said that, waiting for the question. Cirix leaned forward, as if he stood on the edge of a cliff. The air grew stiff and tense and all the swirling in the walls and floor stopped. A lighter force pushed into the room, one that possessed no place in the Dark, filling the area with hope. "Who's going to die next?" She could almost hear the Dark groan in the anti-climatic moment. The hope dissipated, the swirling returned, and Cirix huffed in disappointment. Jexa looked around nervously; she couldn't shake the sensation that she had let a whole bunch of people down.

"Xion goes back Sora first, Roxas follows week later, Demyx dies next," he growled.

"That's not exactly the answer I was looking for, and how can both Xion and Roxas go back to Sora? Sora lost his heart only once, so he can have only one Nobody."

"Can only have one Nobody in first place. Xion's a Replica, not real. Don't tell anyone."

She shrugged. Replica, Nobody, Somebody, it made no difference to her. "Sure, whatever. So I should save Roxas, then Demyx. That works." Cirix started to walk back into the darkness. "Wait," she added, making him stop. "Why did Nothing want me to go to Shift?"

He paused. "If want answer, I have to take Shadow form, give you headache later."

"I don't care, just tell me."

He nodded and the darkness that comprised him shifted into the form of a Shadow. "It's a bit hard to understand, so don't ask any questions until I'm done." He paused until she nodded. "Don't murder me once I finish. I'll say it again: it's complex. Shift's a parallel world, one that the Organization was never supposed to find. It has its own Organization, its own Sora, and its own set of worlds. Xigbar opened up a pathway into that world when he texted to someone there by mistake. That's all I know."

Jexa stared at him. "_Y-eah_, what did you just say?"

"I said that you were never supposed to find that place because it isn't compatible with this place or any other world in this universe. It has two Organizations, two everything really, and both are real. They're parallel universes and Shift is the connection between the two. You shouldn't be able to visit it, I think."

Most of that Jexa missed, but she kept talking so Cirix wouldn't go on. "Then why can I go there?"

He shrugged. "Only you and Xigbar can go, because Xigbar opened a pathway there and you're unique. There, there's a whole other Organization, another Axel, another Xaldin, everyone, but not another you. I don't know why no one else can go, but when Roxas tried to enter a portal leading to Shift, he couldn't, so I guess no one else can either. Also, I have no idea why you're unique to this Organization, so don't ask that either."

Jexa held her head in her hands. Already she had a headache, not from Cirix's change, but from the subject he was trying to explain to her. "Okay, we'll go with that, but why does Nothing want me to go?"

"Other than to get information for him, I have no idea. He might like that group of assassins."

At last, something she could understand. "Alrighty then. Glad we got this sorted out." A flash of red passed in front of her, startling her. She scrambled back to fall on the floor, confusing her for a moment since she had been on the floor moments earlier. Axel confused her as well, until she realized she was back in the castle and not in the Dark.

"What do you want?" she asked tersely. She still had so many questions about Shift she and Cirix needed to sort out, not to mention she still held a grudge against him for trying to kill Zexion.

He dragged her up and summoned a Corridor of Darkness. "I don't have time to explain. She's going to leave if we want too long. C'mon."

_She's going to-? Uh-oh, Xion_. They walked out of the portal and found themselves standing on top of the clock tower. Xion sat curled up in a ball with her back to the ledge, Roxas standing next to her and glaring viciously at Jexa. She backed up a step, staying on the tower only because Axel stood behind her.

_ If looks could kill…_

"What have you done to Xion?" he bellowed, on his feet and his fists clenched.

She rubbed the back of her neck, a little shamed about what she had done. True, Xion lost control of her Keyblade, but that didn't mean she had to be so mean. "I sort of, yelled at her," she said apprehensively. "She lost control of her Keyblade and I was already ticked and I lost it."

"That doesn't give you the right-!" Roxas started.

"I know. I just, wasn't thinking." She couldn't even remember what it made her so ticked, only that she vented it all out on Xion.

Roxas couldn't believe what he was hearing. Out of all the inconsiderate, arrogant, stupid bitches- "How, how could you do this? We're lucky we found her. _Again_." Xion flinched at his words and curled up tighter.

"I'm sorry, Roxas, I just-"

"Don't apologize," he said, staring at Jexa. He kept one arm stretched out in front of her, as if to keep Xion safe from any more verbal assaults. "You're not the one who tore someone apart."

Something about this made Jexa's lips twitch, threatening to form a smile, and Roxas needed no further provoking to launch into an attack. He summoned his Keyblade and threw it at her stomach, hitting dead center. All the air escaped from her lungs as she staggered back. He called the blade back and ran in for another attack, furious.

"No," she gasped. She touched Cirix and took control of Roxas just before his Keyblade slammed into her face.

"Let me go!" he demanded, struggling against her hold. She grimaced and allowed him to move a little in hopes he would calm some. The opposite happened, unfortunately.

"Calm down Roxas," she said, breathing heavily. "I, I didn't mean to, either time. You got to understand that there are some things I can't control."

"You can control yourself!"

_I wish everything could be as simple as you make it, _she thought, clutching her stomach. "I wish what happened didn't. I wish I didn't hurt Xion like that, but I did. I would do anything to change what happened, but I can't."

"Tell that to Xion!"

Whatever would calm him down she would do without question. For someone without a heart, he sure had a temper. She walked past Roxas, not without some protest from the boy, and sat next to Xion. "I, um, well, you heard what I said to Roxas, right?" She nodded, a barely visible reaction. "I really do mean it. I can't get over how I treated you."

"Say you're sorry!" Roxas yelled.

She cocked her head, not understanding what that would do to fix or change anything. Sure, she wanted him calm, but, 'sorry'? "Say-?"

"Say it!"

She turned back to Xion, seeing for the first time how much she acted like a Somebody, which made sense since she was a Replica. Maybe a 'sorry' would help. "I'm sorry, Xion, I'm sorry. I was stupid of me to do what I did."

Roxas relaxed and Jexa trusted him enough to release him. He pushed past her and wrapped an arm around his friend. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. Their fatigue, their sadness, and their happiness for finding each other again, all of it melded into the other. The two of them portrayed the picture of innocence, of friendship; the world revolved around them and nothing mattered more than what happened to the other. Jexa stood up silently to leave them alone so they could sort out exactly what had bothered Xion so much, at least she convinced herself of this. Really, she couldn't stand watching them have the companionship she lost when she turned into a Nobody.

Axel stood against the wall when she came around the corner, his arms crossed. He motioned towards the staircase when she came, leaving her to follow. Numbed by the scene, she went after him without remembering his role in the deaths at C.O. and his attempted murder of Zexion. Only when he shut the door did she recall anything, but she decided to stay and hear whatever he had to say, whether he used words or action. She owed him that much for what she said.

"You really messed up," he said, using the voice he spoke with when he was about to kill someone. Internally, she groaned. "Roxas was _not_ happy about losing Xion again."

"In all honesty, you'd think they'd get over it."

He shook his head. "After seeing that, you think he could _just get over it?_"

She looked away from him, staring at the door instead, imagining the happier days when the two laughed whole-heartedly, even without hearts. "No."

Axel began to pace the small area between the stairs and the door. "And you still make things worse. You could have done _anything_, you could have said _anything_, but _no_, you stayed there and _screwed things up!_ You just _had_ to sit next to Xion! You just _had_ to blow Roxas off! Damn it Jexa, you just, _nngn!_" He summoned his chakrams and threw both of them down the stairway where they stuck in the opposite wall, flames licking at the stone and turning it black. Heat came off of Axel in waves, making the room unbearably hot, but Jexa stayed put, impassive.

"You really care for them, don't you?"

He straightened up from the fighting posture he had been in, his hands clawed as if he still held his weapons. "What do you care? It doesn't matter to you. Go back to the castle already and leave them-"

"You've lost the edge," she said thoughtfully. When he stared at her like she had finally lost it, she added, "The edge to your voice when you're planning something. I heard it back at C.O when you were talking with Marluxia and Larxene and you killed Vexen and Zexion."

He stiffened, eyes wide. Everyone who knew about the happenings at C.O. should have been eliminated. He left her alone because he thought she missed everything he performed, especially when he took care of Zexion. Hadn't she gone up to see Riku right before the Replica took out Zexion? He told her to go, and if she spied on him when she was ordered to help, then that made her a traitor. As if he needed any provoking to take her out or even a good reason. If someone messed with his friends, they had him to deal with.

"Orders were orders," he muttered, summoning the chakrams. "Y'know, I'm glad we had this talk."

She chuckled. "I am too. It's nice to know that I dislike you as much as you dislike me. Now, think about this. I haven't said anything to anyone before now, and Saix probably knows that I lied about your part, so there's no reason you should take offense."

True, Saix told him about his suspicions about her, that she might have seen what he did, but all it took was one little slip and it would be over for the both of them. They were traitors, after all. He spun one of his chakrams around and caught it, warming up for the battle. "I still have my orders to take out traitors."

"Axel, if you take me out now, they'll know you're a traitor. Don't make this mistake. I'm not going to tell anyone. If I do, I'll be named a traitor as well."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh sure, because you help me so much, now and then."

She looked him dead in the eye and said, "We all have our secrets," then, less serious, "I have to be going. If you're up here on the clock tower, then it must be about time everyone else turns in. I have a big mission tomorrow and my head's hurting and spinning from the mistakes I've made today, so see you later. Tell Xion and Roxas I'm really sorry." She paused, glancing at the door once again. "If only everything could be that simple," she said wistfully, and then opened a portal and returned to the castle. Axel shoved his thoughts away to deal with later and walked out to his two friends, who seemed much happier. He didn't deliver the message.


	16. Resolving Past Feuds

Back at Shift, the three assassins, Melanor, Niran, and Eclypse, poured over reports they had gathered over the past day and a half. All together, they found enough information to fill only five pages, a meek gathering compared to what they usually dug up. A chart displayed the data in categories on a laptop, Niran hastily typing, with all they could sort out pasted on it. Another window in the background showed a list of names with more popping up every second, along with a red 'X' beside each one, not a sight the group wanted to see.

Eclypse buried her face in her arms, her hair the exact same shade of purple as her robes. "Can I go to bed now?" she whined, her voice muffled.

Melanor sat next to Niran, watching the list of names doggedly. "Have we found her yet?" he growled.

"No," she muttered discontentedly. She knew what he would say.

"Then no."

Niran added another column to the chart, ignoring the two. They always tried each others' nerves, not that she didn't receive the same treatment or retaliate. Right now, however, she couldn't spare any of her attention to the others; their work took precedence over any games they might have played. Eclypse still messed around whenever she became bored, or ticked, or excited, or anything that honestly didn't command all of her attention. Her friends knew that, but it didn't make it any easier to tolerate, especially when she should have been reviewing the papers for the twelfth time. Research had to be Eclypse's least favorite task, but it was important nonetheless.

"When's Link getting here?" Eclypse asked. "He can always lighten things up."

"Any time between now and tomorrow," Melanor answered. "A few people stopped by yesterday, so we could have more help."

"Please! I'm not a recon agent, I'm a thief."

"You're not going to get much help then. Roxas is the only one with enough recon experience to be considered an apprentice, and I am not allowed to bring him, so says Zero."

"I want Leon," Niran put in. She viewed him as one of the most serious of Melanor's friends. "Meta Knight would freak people out and I don't trust Hidan not to cut her up."

Melanor turned his attention to Niran, the first time he'd looked at something other than the screen in over an hour. "Hey, that's uncalled for. Hidan would not cut her up if I asked him not to." He paused, thinking how Hidan behaved at times. "I think."

She shrugged. "Sure sure, whatever you say. Do Eclypse's job, would you, because _she_ doesn't seem to be _doing_ anything, hint hint."

"I don't care how many hints you drop, I'm still not doing anything," Eclypse grumbled. "I'm tired."

"You lazy little- Fine, take a nap. In fact, we should all take a break," Melanor said grudgingly. The perpetrator had to be apprehended as soon as possible, but they couldn't do it exhausted. They could return to it after a three hour break. Three hours to rest up after a two day work spree, plenty of time, more than he usually awarded people when they worked on something important, but his friends came first.

Niran threw her hood up, hiding her blue-highlighted, light brown hair. "You guys can have a coffee break, but I'm going into lower Shift."

Melanor snapped to attention and ripped the computer away from her. Zero had given them all strict orders not to leave unless they found a lead, so something must have come up. One yellow circle sat on the listing, code for an accomplice, next to the name _Linder, Eris_. He smirked. Finally, a lead. He clicked on the link provided, which led him to a page filled with the guy's life story. From what he read, the guy had the most boring life of anyone he ever targeted.

Niran pulled the laptop back to read. "His sister joined us a few months back," she commented. Neither of the assassins said anything; the fact held no importance for their job. "He thinks she's dead, killed, and now he hates us."

"That makes our job so much easier," Eclypse said, straightening up. "'Hi, we're assassins, the ones you think killed you sister. We can't say anything about that, orders and all, but we need to ask you some questions about a person who doesn't belong here. How 'bout it?' Yeah, this'll turn out real well."

Niran glared at her friend. "You are such a whiner today. Since when have we ever done things like that? I'm a Master Recon Assassin. I do _not_ barge in."

"Sorry to insult you, Master Recon _Assassin_, but there isn't much about recon that's assassin-y."

Niran point a finger at her while continuing to read the report. "Don't insult the person who gives you the information you need to break into places, Master Thief, or else you'll end up at a classy ballroom party the next time you're sent on a mission with clothes to match, or would you rather the Hundred Acre Woods again?"

She cringed. "Not Tigger, anything but the singing, bouncing tiger."

Melanor moved his chair between the two of them, a sign to keep quiet and work. No matter how good of friends they were, they could still try his patience to the breaking point, but that made their friendship stronger. He had known them before they became official assassins, hanging out sometimes and going on 'business trips' or 'vacations' with different people at others, the trips only when necessary, of course. Those vacations weren't the relaxing type.

Niran skimmed the middle in order to reach the end faster. Normally, the reason why a person appeared came at the end; Eris didn't break the rule. "Okay, he's been seen talking to himself, wandering off to the beach with two cups of coffee, and he's left work without walking out the front door and then came back right after our break-in. All of that's either listed as odd or is simply suspicious, if you care to look. He's not the sharpest crayon in the box and he's a bit cowardly, so he's definitely an accomplice. I'll go bring him back here." She stood up and left, pressing buttons on a wrist pad, each changing her cloak's appearance a little more until she looked completely different. Instead of her cloak, people would see her wearing a tailored suit and sunglasses with her hair pulled up in a bun without the blue streaks. She made a face at her disguise. "He's a lawyer, isn't he? Wonderful. I'm going to see a laywer."

Melanor and Eclypse chuckled evilly, a trick that took them years to perfect. The though of an assassin, someone who didn't abide by laws at all, especially a master recon assassin, who broke the law more than regular assassins, going to see a lawyer seemed a hilarious and a bit redundant. It gave them the perfect opportunity to tease their friend.

"Don't forget to sue our enemies!" Eclypse laughed. "We want three thousand this time, not two thousand. They've crossed too many lines."

Niran glared at her. "Fine, and I'll get you for breaking my favorite wooden staff while I'm at it."

She gave her a pained look. "Oh c'mon, that was forever ago and you already punished me for it". Niran rolled her eyes and walked out the door, checking in and out with the weapons specialist to retrieve one of her bo staffs, a plastic one as hard as diamond, painted black and made to look like a cellphone when compacted. It didn't pass as one of her most advanced ones or even as one she would have used on a moderately difficult job, but it would work for what she needed to do. The slender staff extended only four feet, but it held sleeping gas inside that could be sprayed in the face of the victim. She pocketed it, ruing the trip to the building. She despised the mode of transportation Zero told her to take.

Eclypse reluctantly began working again while Melanor readied a room for their guest. It wasn't that she didn't like being an assassin, but she hated the paperwork required on occasion. Melanor put up with it, but she knew he hated it as much as she did. Niran filled things out for them most of the time. Just when she found something interesting, a buzzer went off, startling her and causing her to lose where she left off. Now he would think that she had been doing nothing again, an annoying detail. She picked up the device and pressed a button on the side.

"What is it?" she sighed.

"We have a man who claims to be Link here but will not answer all of our questions. Could you come down here please?" a high-pitched, fakely sweet voice asked.

"I'll be right down." She scribbled a note for Melanor explaining why she disappeared, then jumped in the elevator. Within seconds she reached the first floor, a marvel that never ceased to amaze her, seeing as she came from the thirty-second floor.

A teen in a brown cloak stood in front of a desk talking to the receptionist. "I don't know my parents! I never knew them," he said, indignant.

The woman, whose name Eclypse could never recall, nodded placidly and smiled. "Of course. Now, from where do you hail?"

"Where do I- Are we back in Hyrule or something? Where do I _hail_?"

"Please answer the question, sir."

Eclypse shook her head in disappointment. "Hi Link. Glad you could make it."

The teen turned, his face hidden by a brown hood. "Hi Eclypse. They say I have to finish up here and then I can go."

"I have a quicker way." She pulled off his hood, revealing his pointed ears. The receptionist shrank into her chair, ashamed she hadn't thought of that first. No one in Shift had elf ears.

"You can go," the woman squeaked.

Eclypse tugged Link away by the ear, removing any doubt anyone might have had that he was who he claimed. She let go once they were in the elevator.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing the side of his head.

A bell chimed and the doors opened to the room with the papers spread out on the table. "We have research to do and I needed you to get you butt up here as fast as possible so I didn't have to do as much."

"Well you're in a bad mood."

"I didn't have breakfast."

"Oh." Link knew from experience that Eclypse could be very irritable when she didn't eat. "I could make you something."

She didn't give the offer a second thought. "No. You and technology don't mix."

"But I can cook," he said earnestly.

"No. You and tech don't mix."

"I can!"

She sat back down at the table and handed him a paper. "Link, I bet you can, but you'll burn the place down before you'll cook a decent meal with a microwave, and don't even mention a stove."

He looked at her blankly. "What are those things?"

"Exactly my point."

Pouting, he began reading the report, his eyes growing wider every second. "Wow, she's a big threat. You don't know very much though, do you?"

"That would be correct. Now drop it," Melanor growled.

Link whirled around to see Melanor standing in the doorway, a thick book under his arm. "Hi Melanor! Is anyone else coming?"

He opened the book and flipped to a certain page, reading as he spoke. "I just phoned Leon. He'll be here tomorrow. Vincent's already on his way and will be here by tonight."

"What about Hidan?"

He shook his head. "He wouldn't take this seriously enough."

A chuckle came from the shadows. "Sorry you think that, but I wouldn't miss this for a massacre, or will it be a massacre? That'd be fun."

Melanor groaned. "Hidan, I thought I told you to stay home."

A white haired man stepped from the shadows, wearing an Akatsuki robe and carrying a scythe, a maniacal grin spread across his face. "Like hell I'd miss this. It's not every day you get to take down one of those fucking Organization bastards."

Melanor covered his face with his hands. "What happened to your shock collar?" He had a shock collar made so when Hidan swore, which was a lot, it would give him a painful shock. Even someone who liked pain, like Hidan, got sick of it after awhile.

"I had Roxas take it off. Isn't it amazing what you can make someone do when you hold a sharp object to their neck? Don't worry, I only tortured him a little when I drew blood."

Melanor groaned. Hidan's immortality gave him the ability to make others suffer with a ritual he performed with their blood where injuring himself caused the subject the gain the same wounds. Unfortunately, the sharing of pain didn't deter him from using that unique way of killing people; in fact, it made it more appealing to him. Hidan knew better than to murder anyone, but he still got carried away if someone was so unfortunate to allow him some blood to play with. His little thing with Roxas just earned him a stay in a room with vegetable and Disney songs, the only things that made Hidan scream. "You've nearly killed Roxas and you can curse. This is just great." He reached in his robes, got his phone, and dialed a number. "Yeah, Leon, I need you to bring Roxas and Hidan's collar. He got it off, again. Yes, he's here. Link can take him home, don't worry. How is Roxas? You're sure that there're only some cuts? Okay. We'll take care of him."

Hidan crossed his arms, the scythe nearly hitting the floor. "Hah, I will not be fuckin' dragged back to that place by some kid with the IQ of a rock. Go ahead and try it. He'll end up looking a hell of a lot like that pedo Xigbar. Hell, that'll be fun."

Melanor put a hand over the end of the phone, his glare noticeable even with his hood up. "You'll go home or else I'll have Link make the elves mug you."

Hidan laughed. "Oh no, Papa Elf is going to sent a shitload of Christmas elves after me. Whatever will I do?" He twirled the scythe around, the blades about two feet from the floor to represent how he would take off the heads of the elves.

Link grimaced. The elves had been hired to decorate the house for Christmas, then they should have left, but when he walked in the same room as them with his pointed ears showing, he became 'Papa Elf' to them. Now they relentlessly followed him and pestered him to sing Christmas carols with them. Any other time he would have refused to come and hunt down someone, but with the obsessive, annoying midgets running around, he agreed all too eagerly. Hidan figured out they bugged him and refused to drop the subject since.

"I'm not a Christmas elf," Link protested. "I'm the hero of time."

Hidan snorted. "You bitch about that while wearing all green. You sure look like a fucking Christmas elf to me. Why aren't you with your friends, _Papa Elf_ ?"

Link looked back pleadingly at Melanor, but he had his nose buried in the book, muttering about how Niran always wrote things too complicated and jumbled up. Eclypse ignored him as well, suddenly finding something in the papers very interesting and amusing.

Hidan clasped Link on the shoulder. "Sing with me, Papa Elf. On the first day of Christmas my captive gave to me, blood-stained weapons to use relentlessly."

Link covered his ears as Hidan started on the second verse. Melanor specifically said Hidan wouldn't be there. He hadn't bargained on the psycho coming along. The song had probably taken him the whole of the trip to think up.

Niran stepped into the room with Eris cowering behind her. Fortunately, he came willingly, so the sleeping gas stayed within the chamber. Hidan's horrid singing immediately became an assault when they stopped searching for the dying cat. "What in the world?" Niran exclaimed, recoiling. The last place Hidan needed to be was with a group of assassin who stocked every type of weapon and killed people on occasion, although he would surely disagree. "Who invited you?"

He grinned. "Yo, Niran, long time no see. I guess I'm the gate crasher at this party. Hey, if you want me gone, I could do some assassination for you." He nodded towards Eris, who blanched.

"No." She gently led Eris into the room and sat him down at the table, giving Melanor's reading material a glance before updating her chart. "That isn't going to help you," she said. "It's about darkness in the heart, courtesy of Xemnas/Xehanort/Ansem, whatever you want to call him. It's more for learning about those people than about darkness."

Melanor put the book away in the other room and came back scowling. "Where were you five minutes ago? No wonder it was so messed up. I thought you wrote it."

"Does everyone here want to insult me today?" she snapped. She took her writings very seriously and her work being compared to the rambling form of Xehanort's reports did not please her.

Eris sat in his chair, trembling with fear and rage. His sister's killers sat in front of him, talking amiably amongst themselves with no regard to him or his dear little sister's life, but why would they care? They probably killed, no, they did kill people every day. They didn't care that they had taken a very important life.

"Monsters," he muttered under his breath. "You're all monsters."

Niran raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Well, he can be a monster at times," she said, pointed at Hidan, who was still singing.

He waved at her. "Thanks for the compliment!"

"But the rest of us aren't," she continued, ignoring him. "Actually, your friend would have killed you once she finished her work her, whatever it is."

He sucked in a breath. "How do you know-?"

"You don't cover your tracks well," Eclypse explained, leaning back in her chair too far for safety's sake. "We know all about how you helped her get in here."

Niran held her hands up in a 'what are you thinking,' gesture when Eris wasn't looking. One of the first rules of interrogation was to never make the subject think you know everything, since they would become suspicious if too many questions were asked or they would fail to talk at all.

Eris, however, slumped in his chair, the image of defeat. "So you know everything, from when I met her to the break-in?" he said weakly.

"The basics," Niran stated before Eclypse could say 'yes'. "If we knew every detail, we wouldn't have brought you here."

Link finally shrugged off Hidan's hand, placing him at the risk of the scythe instead of the singing, but at this point the two balanced out in terms of pain. "Er, should I be here right now?" he asked. "I mean, you guys have work to do here."

"You're early, so you can do what you please," Melanor said. "Hidan, you stay here."

Link exited the room, relieved to escape from Hidan. Back at the house, Hidan bothered other people more than he did Link, but with no other source of entertainment, the bloodthirsty man would bother whoever he could.

Hidan plopped on the couch, tracing the three blades of his weapon lovingly. Exploring the building would be preferable, but Melanor didn't seem in a good mood, so he didn't want to bug. He admired the nicks and scratches on the scythe, testimonies to his victories. Blood still speckled the metal in a few places, drawing the eye of Eris, although he tried to hide it. Hidan saluted him the next time he looked, causing the man to become even paler. He lost himself in the thought of taunting the prisoner before cutting into him. Melanor shot him a look, as if he could read his mind. That didn't banish his murderous thoughts; it would take much more than a glare to do that.

Niran folded her hands, still in her disguise to keep Eris a little calmer. "We know you're friends with this person. Tell us everything you know about her."

"She's just a child, so young, like Kane. I gave her that name when I first met her. She wouldn't tell me hers. She wore a black cloak that matched her hair perfectly. Her eyes were blue, very light, and she had a scar stretching from here to here." He traced a line on his face from his cheek to his jaw. "She could open those dark door things, and, and…" He bit his lip to keep it from quavering, which gave Niran enough time to type in all the information he gave her. "And she never trusted me," he said in a whisper. "She always said she couldn't tell me too much or I'd be in danger. I guess she overestimated how much she could tell me."

"Did you ever tell her anything?" Niran asked, still typing.

"Yes, but just about Shift. Little things everyone knows."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Yesterday."

"Did she ever say anything about an Organization?"

"Like hell she did," Hidan scoffed. The assassins turned their attention to him, Melanor growing angrier by the second. This was no time to play around. "She's got the fucking cloak and can open those creepy doors, so I say screw the questions and let's go hunting!"

"Hidan," Melanor said, deadly calm. "If you do not desire for me to drag you back home right now, I suggest that you _shut_ the _hell_ up."

The room became eerily quiet, Eclypse and Niran waiting for a fight, but Hidan zipped his lips and threw away the key, grinning. He knew that Melanor had little patience to spare.

"She wanted to find an assassin," Eris said, hoping his compliance would assure his wellbeing. "She came here looking first and found what she was looking for. I don't know what she found."

The three exchanged glances. "I'll go get the computer," Eclypse said.

Niran nodded, speaking for herself and the ever so serious Melanor. "Good. That's all we need to carry this out. I'll lead you to your room. We'll give you a plan later. You'll have to play a part. Will you?"

He held his chin high, trying to be brave. "And the reason I should?"

Niran suppressed a grin. The fun always came when they dangled the greatest, most irresistible treasure in front of the suspect's nose and taunted them a bit. "We can reunite you with your sister." Telling a citizen more than he or she needed to know went against orders, but in this mission, only the strictest of orders absolutely had to be obeyed all of the time.

The world dropped out from under him, as well as his resolve. "She's, she's…"

Melanor held a button on the comlink on his wrist. "Put Kane on," he ordered.

Static took over the connection, then a new voice came on, one like Eris' but more feminine. "Yes Master Assassin, sir!"

Eris began silently crying. "Kane…"

The person on the other side of the line gasped. "Permission to speak freely," Kane asked.

"Granted."

"Is that my brother?"

"Yes."

"What has he done?"

Eris winced as if someone hit him. "It doesn't matter. I'm on your side. You just stay safe."

Melanor nodded and cut the link. "That's what I wanted to hear. Finally, we can begin. As Hidan so elegantly put it, let's hunt down this Organization bastard."

(/)

Jexa woke the next morning to a gentle knocking on the door. "Come in," she yawned. She paused, thinking about her reaction. Any other day she would have gone off on the person for waking her before dawn, but now she only wondered who woke before her to reach her so early.

_Blank again,_ she thought contently. _This will make things much easier._

Xion opened the door hesitantly. "Morning."

"Not exactly," Jexa said, slipping off the bed. "It's predawn in the castle. Did Xemnas call a meeting?"

"Uh, no. I wanted to talk to you, about yesterday."

Jexa picked a cloak out of the closet and checked it for any rips or tears it might have sustained on a previous mission. "What about it?"

"I'm sorry. I caused you so much trouble and-"

She dropped what she was doing and turned to Xion, who stood with her hands meshed together and intent on her boots. "What are you sorry for?" she interrupted. "I messed up, I'm willingly to admit that. You're not to blame."

"But I lost control of the Keyblade," she said softly. "It wasn't the first time."

Jexa shook her head. How could the girl standing in front of her be the same one who lost herself in Roxas? They acted totally different, or maybe that was part of being a Replica. Her mood swings reminded Jexa of her own. "Look," she said, not unkindly. "You're faulty. Everyone is. Just because you lost the Keyblade a few times doesn't mean you're a terrible person. I went off because I had something else on my mind, not because of you. You're a better person than I could ever be, so don't go apologizing for things that you didn't even do." She picked the cloak back up and dusted it off. Being a Replica had to be the worst. Nobodies knew that they were their own person at some point and could become that person again, but a Replica would never have that luxury. Hopefully Xion would stay ignorant of the fact and live her life like any other Nobody. "If you ever need someone, I'll be here," she offered. "I know I'm not your first choice, but if you ever run out of options, you've got one more."

"Thanks." She smiled, the expression bearing a great resemblance to Namine's smiles. Jexa stared for a moment before going to dress for the day. How much didn't she know about the Organization? Xion was a Replica based off of Namine, unless Namine's Somebody gave the girl her looks. Nothing's offer of more information rang clear in her head, hanging tantalizingly close. Just when she decided to see Nothing and take it up, the lights shone brighter, signaling the beginning of the day. She shrugged, undeterred, and left for the Grey Area. Whatever Saix wanted her to do obviously had no place in her schedule because he lost all of his seriousness when she walked in.

She gingerly took the card presented to her. "This is Dusk work," she said after reading it, handing it back.

He shook his head. If he only had a heart, this revenge for all the grievances she brought him would have given him great satisfaction, but now it only served as closure. Still, better now than never. "This is punishment for the day you were absent and the one you were late," he said. Xemnas said she needed no retribution for her leave, but the Superior said nothing about using the incident for an excuse to punish her for something else entirely. "Consider this a warning."

She gritted her teeth and stalked off. Through the previous night she planned exactly how to proceed in Shift. Saix was not going to mess everything up. She left not because he made her angry, a near impossibility while she stayed blank, but because the sooner she finished work at the castle, the sooner she could leave. If she stayed with him, then he might have told her that she couldn't use Dusks for the task, cleaning the Hall of Empty Melodies once all the other members left. She summoned twelve Dusks to do the chore with orders to clean the place spotless and come back once they finished. In one, long hour the task was done and Jexa set out for Shift. In the In Between, she and Cirix greeted and connected, each bracing themselves for the trial ahead. When she arrived in Eris' work place, no one waited for her, but a note with her name on it waited for her, tapped to the window.

_Jexa,_

_I've found where some assassins are going to be today. It's upper Shift, five blocks from their base, two of them. Maybe you could hold them hostage to get the one you want, but I want one of them. I went to see if I could slow them down. Meet me there._

_Eris Linder_

She plucked the note from the window and put it in her pocket. _Well Cirix,_ she thought. _Do you really think he's capable? I never dreamed he could actually find some._

_ Lives here,_ he replied. _Don't see why not. Go look. Not too hard. Hold one hostage, other surrender. People with hearts like that._

_ True._ She left for the building, walking the way down to where Eris said the assassins were. It wasn't until she traveled two whole blocks that she noticed the absence of people. Upper Shift never had empty streets.

_A drill,_ she assured herself, carrying on, but Cirix tensed and growled, staying on high alert. Something didn't fit.

A shadow flitted behind her, coming and going too fast for a lock on. She jumped half into the darkness for protection and better visibility, but still no one showed up.

"It isn't very nice to not introduce yourself," she called out.

"We're not known for being nice," a voice growled from behind her. She began to turn to see the person so she could lock on and control him, but before she could do anything, a figure in a white hood slammed his fist into the side of her head. She spiraled back and out of the shadows, dazed, and summoned her sword. Before she could get a good look at her attacker, he vanished, and from behind him, a girl in blue robes rushed forward with a bo staff in hand. The girl thrashed the staff swiftly at Jexa, who could only block the blow with her sword. Suddenly, the first one slammed his elbow into her side. Jexa cringed and jumped back until she was a few yards away from the pair. She was in such a rush to get away from them that she didn't notice the small cut on her upper arm. She looked up to see that the figure in white had a small blade protruding from his wrist, dripping with her own dark blood. He glared at her while the girl in blue, Niran, spoke.

"You are outnumbered and cornered. You have two options: Drop your weapon and come quietly, or fight and we will take you anyway."

"I don't think so," Jexa said calmly.

Melanor, the first to attack, tensed. Why did the target always insist on making things difficult? "You may wish to reconsider. I am here to take you to into custody. Our leader will not care if I kill instead."

Jexa straightened up. Being blank kept her from enjoying the moment, but the pull to set the assassins on edge never had disappeared from when they first attacked her to this moment. "You wish," she said, flicking a lock of hair out of her eyes, an insolent gesture to the two assassins. "As Luxord would say, the cards are in my favor."

She suddenly stood very still, her eyes locked on Niran. Melanor went back and forth, his eyes watching both carefully. Niran straightened up and became stiff, staring at Jexa with a mixture of confusion and hate. Melanor readied himself to throw a knife at Jexa, hopefully distracting or seriously wounding her, when Niran flung her bo staff at him. The swing hit him on the side of his arm as he tried to dodge it. He jumped back and leapt into the air; he landed on the wall to his back and perched there to stare at the equally confused Niran.

"Sh-She's controlling me!" Niran growled. Jexa stared at Melanor placidly.

"My leader wants a specific person," she said, one eye on Niran and the other one Melanor. "I'll leave and let your friend go if you present this assassin to me."

Niran struggled against the ties that bound her while Melanor stood several yards away. "You can't do that Melanor," she said sadly. "There are too many problems with what she desires. Fight back! Don't just sit there, do something!"

Jexa pursed her lips. "I forgot how annoying others could be when they talk." She shut Niran up and ordered her not to talk again, serving to push Melanor over the edge.

"Niran," Melanor said. "Forgive me…"

He unsheathed a thin black and green sword and jumped down. He landed perfectly on his feet and readied himself to fight one of his closest friends. Unwillingly, Niran prepared as well, getting into a stance only her controller knew how to use. Melanor stood, sword raised and ready, waiting for the first strike when he noticed something odd about Jexa. She stood as far as she could be to still have a visual on the fight when he thought she would take the advantage and fight with Niran. Something else, she never took her eyes off of Niran, as if she had to use every ounce of her concentration to control her new puppet.

Niran rushed forward, the staff aimed at his head. Melanor blocked, and swung his sword down low, a blow he knew Niran would parry. They continued to fight, neither managing to hit the other. Melanor could finish the battle if he wanted, but it was his friend he fought and he needed to know how Jexa fought. If he knew that much, he would be able to get Jexa out of Niran, although exactly how he hadn't planned yet, and he would be able to capture her more easily. While he lost himself in thought for a moment, Niran slammed her staff into his stomach. He gasped and jumped back, the scars from his most recent injuries stinging in protest.

_It has to be now,_ he thought.

Niran flew forward, ready to hit him again. This time he was ready for her. She jabbed her bo staff at his chest, looking to skewer him. Melanor grabbed it and pulled both of them forward. As Niran brushed past him, he elbowed her in the back of the head just enough to stall her. She passed him and he pulled a knife out of his cloak and flung it at Jexa. The knife reached its mark, stabbing her in the arm. She hissed in pain and tore her attention away from Niran to see what happened, allowing the assassin a little movement but not freedom. Following the projectile was the very irritated Melanor. Just as Jexa pulled the knife out of her arm, she was bashed in the side of her head with the bo staff that Melanor took, causing her to retreat inside her own mind and lose all purchase she had on Niran.

Niran ran up behind Melanor. "Melanor! Pass me my-" she began.

"No," he said sternly. "Get behind me, I will handle this."

She was about to protest, but she decided against it. He was too peeved and concerned to let her fight. _I might as well let him. He knows to keep her alive. I hope._

Niran walked away as Melanor faced his opponent. Jexa look beaten, but he knew she wouldn't come quietly.

"Bring up your weapon! I will not fight you unarmed, but I will still take you!" Melanor said.

"Go ahead and try!" Jexa yelled, still holding her bleeding arm. Cirix sat dazed and useless in her mind, unable to grasp what had happened when he was torn from Niran's darkness. _Nothing_, she called mentally. _This would be a really good time to give me some pointers._

Melanor crouched down into his stance. "Fight already!"

_Nothing_, she said again, more urgently as she summoned her sword. _A little help here._

He rushed forward, sword raised and ready. Jexa gripped her sword and jumped forward to meet him. No time could be wasted waiting for Nothing. Their blades clashed, both blocking the other's blows. Melanor, mid-way of a strike, suddenly felt pain from previous injuries. His whole body hurt, his scars protesting with their bursts of sharp complaints. Jexa saw his hesitation and took the advantage. She swung her blade at the hilt of his sword, and the hand clutching it. Melanor flinched back as his sword flew from his hand. It flipped through the air and sheathed itself in the ground too far behind him for him to retrieve. He retreated slightly in disbelief that he had let go of his sword.

Jexa smirked. "All tough huh? You were going to take me."

Melanor wiped some of the blood off of his hand onto his cloak, disgusted with his performance. "Don't mock me, I have more weapons than you could imagine and I know how to use them."

He flicked both wrists and two gleaming blades shot out of his sleeve, one still colored red with blood.

She gave the weapon a critical glance. "You going to fight me with those? That's so-"

A few expertly place swings made her fall back and stop short. She could only dodge the hits, failing to even put up a block, and received another slash for her efforts. Melanor danced back, out of her range, fresh blood dripping from one of the blades.

"I told you already, I know how to use my weapons," he said, deathly calm.

She ran up and brought her sword down on him; he stopped it, crossing his own blades to do so. He brought down one blade, making the tip of hers hit the ground next to him. He ripped her sword from her hand and through it behind him. At that same moment, he thrust his elbow at her neck. Jexa raised her hands to shield herself when she was hit again in the stomach. She fell back, gasping for breath. She sat with her hands and knees on the ground, coughing up blood. Melanor came up behind her and pulled something out of his cloak. He then clamped a collar around her neck and yanked her up to her feet. She tried to fight back as he shoved her against a wall and tied her hands together behind her, but something in the collar began to drain the energy out of her. She bucked and kicked, trying to rid herself of the restraints, but to no avail. Melanor grabbed her by her collar and pressed a button. She went limp and fell to the ground, unconscious. He sighed and stepped back, tired from the brawl.

"I warned you…but you left me no choice."

He winced internally at remembrance of his wounds. The fight probably made some of them worse. He turned to see Niran approach him.

"Some ability" she said quietly. "I had absolutely no control." Melanor noticed the crease in between her eyebrows, something that happened when she forgot a very important piece of information. She would tell him if she remembered. Asking could push any hints away.

"Yeah…How's your head?" he asked, hating still that he had to hurt her to obtain his objective.

"It doesn't hurt much now, I'm fine." That was a lie. It ached enough to inject some of the painkillers she kept on her person, but she knew him. Melanor was a very protective person who never wanted to hurt those he cared about. Telling him how badly he had to hurt her would kill him.

"Sorry about that…" he said. "Let's get her to base. Is the cell ready?"

"Yes. She won't be leaving. Eclypse is already in there. The collar should prevent her from using any type of ability, being light-based. Nobodies have to be in touch with a small quantity of darkness to be able to use any power."

"I'm glad we don't have such limitations." He glanced down at the girl slumped on the pavement. "We should go before she wakes up. The collar has only one dose of the knock-out drug."

Niran nodded, threw up her hood, and opened a Corridor of Darkness back to base.


	17. Found and Lost

Jexa sat curled up in her mind outside the Dark, a wall separating her and Cirix. She touched the collar around her neck to try and get it off, only managing to burn her hand. Cirix still was unable to grasp the fact that he lost contact with Niran's darkness. Jexa knew he was muttering something, but she couldn't hear him through the wall. Nothing refused to come out, even to see her or talk to her, or maybe he didn't even know she wanted to see him.

She placed a hand on the wall dividing her and her darkness for the millionth time. His absence felt like missing a hand or an arm. She needed him. Being blank couldn't erase the need. "Cirix, come on," she pleaded. "Explain what happened. Why aren't you okay? Why can't I get to you?" She paused and lowered her gaze, her hand slipping from the invisible wall. The collar kept stealing her energy, but her thoughts mattered more to her at this point. "Why was that girl a Nobody?" she whispered.

A pressure on her hand pulled her out of her semi-conscious state. The woman in the blue robes had taken her glove off and was drawing her blood. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't fight back. She simply did not have the energy.

Niran narrowed her eyes when she saw the unusual darker color of the blood. "Kid, you are so odd, you know that?" she said, unaware that the drug had worn off. "If I didn't know better, I would say you had darkness in your blood, though most normal Nobodies had that when they didn't have hearts. Then again, you're not from this universe, are you? You probably still rely on darkness to keep your blood moving… So much though. Darkness must be your element." She placed a cap over the end of the needle and headed out but stopped at the door. "What is it about darkness? I read it a week ago from someone who made Maleficent spill. It was such a surprise. Terra did that, but he wouldn't otherwise. What did she do? She's involved in darkness as well, and so much of it." Her face paled and her jaw dropped in shock. "Melanor!" she cried, running out the door.

Jexa sighed and tried to sit up, only to become dizzy and have to lie down again. What was the assassin's problem? How could she be so shocked by darkness if she was a Nobody, or anything, for that matter? _This world is too weird,_ she thought, settling to lie on her semi-uninjured side instead of her back. When she opened her eyes, she saw a kid standing with his hood down, a mop of shaggy brown hair hanging in his stunning hazel eyes. They stared at each other, waiting to see what the other would do.

"Take this collar off," Jexa said finally.

The kid chuckled. "So you can walk all over me? Uh, no thanks. I'm good from over here where you can't reach me."

"It wouldn't matter where you were as long as I could see you. You'd be in just as much trouble wherever you were if I hadn't lost so badly."

He shook his head, a foolish grin spread across his face. "You couldn't have expected to win against him. I can't fight him half as long as you did, and I'm the best in my class."

_Best in my class…_ The words rang in her ears. "So you're Reto," she said flatly.

He cocked his head. "Yes, and you're weird."

"I get that a lot."

"You don't give off any vibes. You're blank," he said, confusion written all over his face.

Jexa nodded. "It's the way I'd rather be. I can't be this way all the time, though."

He crossed his arms. "Sure, but even Mr. Master Stuck-Up can't be that way, even when he tries. I can at least tell that he's calm when he's trying to kill all emotion."

She smiled without any real happiness, chilling Reto. "It's true, then. You are extraordinary. How old are you?"

"Nineteen. Why?"

"Curiosity."

A figure in black moved up to Reto's side. Once he stepped closer, Jexa noticed that the cloak wasn't the assassin's style but an Organization cloak. The person looked to be about Roxas' height, but Cirix said no one except Xigbar and herself could enter Shift. Maybe the Organization found a way to get in.

"Roxas, get me out of here," she said. "And get this collar off. It's draining the life out of me."

Indeed, when the person took his took off, it turned out to be Roxas, but he made no move to help her. "Melanor, I don't know who she is. Sorry I can't help."

Melanor came up from behind Roxas, fully cloaked in his white robes. "That's fine. Reto gave me enough information."

Jexa shut her eyes, half in resignation and half in exhaustion. That couldn't be Roxas. He would remember her. "What do you want?"

"Information," Melanor stated, then, to Roxas and Reto, "leave. I need to have a word with her alone."

The two looked at each other, then obeyed Melanor's orders. He didn't spare any of his attention from the dark Nobody to give them a goodbye. "I could have shot you with a dart and made you go down without a fight, but I wanted to know what kind of person could possibly infiltrated this place. Now I know. A true Nobody, one without a heart. Niran explained the different universe-thing to me. You're not from here. You still have no heart."

"You obviously do," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"I didn't, once. I went for a month without a heart before Kingdom Hearts was completed. My friends became Nobodies on the day it was finished, so they obtained powers while getting their hearts back. I, too, have powers and retained them."

"Are we going to spill all our secrets to her?" a new voice challenged. Eclypse walked in, her hood down. "She isn't trustworthy."

"True," Melanor admitted. "But I want her to know what she's dealing with."

She rolled her eyes. "Considering the shape she's in, I think she knows how good you guys are."

"I could have gone longer if you didn't snap this stupid collar on me." She pulled on it again, burning her hand, but she didn't care. It had to come off.

Melanor tugged her hand away, surprised by how little effort it took to do so. "There's no need to mutilate yourself. Only the Keyblade can unlock it, so don't try. You'll only gain scars."

"It's killing me," she murmured before sliding into sleep.

Melanor went over to the door. "Do you mind playing guard for a few more minutes?" he asked Eclypse.

"As long as I don't have to do any more recon, sure." She bit her lip. "Melanor, she doesn't look so hot. You mind want to have Roxas take that thing off."

His hands curled into fists. "If you saw what she did to Niran, you wouldn't say that." He left Eclypse uneasy with Jexa.

Niran waited for him in the room where they had figured out how to capture her, rubbing her temples.

"Are you okay?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"My head's fine, if that's what you're asking." She looked up at him, her blue eyes showing her fatigue and sadness. "You might want to take the collar off her, though. She won't last long with it on. She has too strong of connections with darkness to be able to handle so much light."

He pressed a button on the comlink. "Eclypse, would you plug the collar outside? Go ahead and get Roxas. He should be with Reto." He cut the connection before Eclypse had a chance to reply. Niran leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"You don't have to take it out on her that you underestimated your opponent," she said. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "We both did. I though she had some control over people or blood or something like that once she controlled me, but her power is darkness."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

Niran held up a hand for him to wait. "Awhile ago I read a report on Maleficent and how Terra helped her steal a heart. Terra wasn't that type of person, so I couldn't figure out why he'd do it. Then she came along and controlled me, making me do things I normally wouldn't do. Now I see how she did it. She controls darkness, like Maleficent did, and can control the darkness in hearts, or maybe just darkness. Either way, she's in trouble."

"_She's_ in trouble? _We_ are the ones with the problem here.

Niran shrugged. "She'll leave eventually. We'll be done with her at some point or another, but she's always going to have to deal with the darkness. Think of her as a Riku that took full control over darkness instead of the darkness taking over him."

Now he understood. Riku eventually rejected the darkness because it hurt his friends, but when he embraced the darkness he became much more of a threat. "So what do we do?"

She handed him the computer. "You're going to sit here and work and apologize to Eclypse for being such a bighead while I go in and talk to her."

"The prisoner's asleep, and I'm not a bighead."

"You can be." She gave him a sympathetic smile. "You mean well. You can be a bit overprotective, that's all. We love you for that, Ookami Melanor."

He chuckled. "Going formal on me?"

She returned the laughter. "Aren't I supposed to, Master Assassin Ookami Melanor, sir?" She saluted at the end, grinning like a mad fool.

He shook his head, smiling, and went about his work. Niran left, her grin falling as soon as she was out of the room. Business first, play later. She met Eclypse outside Jexa's prison and clasped arms with her colleague.

"Melanor's taking it hard, isn't he?" Eclypse said.

Niran nodded. "Yeah. He doesn't like the fact that she controlled me."

"I don't either," she grumbled.

She tossed a worried glance at the door. "If you're out here, who's in there?"

"Vincent. He got here a few minutes ago."

"Where's Hidan?"

"Link took him back with orders from Melanor to have the elves keep him in his room."

The two took a moment to picture the image of Hidan being weighed down by elves, all screaming 'for Papa Elf,' at the top of their lungs while clinging to his arms and legs, the madman trying to shake them off the best he could but failing miserably. What they wouldn't give to see it.

Niran entered the room, willing to waste no more time. Vincent immediately pointed a gun at her before he recognized who she was. She nodded in understanding and greeting; her reaction would have been the same under the circumstances.

Niran noticed how close the bed was to the walls, which glowed with the light the collar infused them with from the panel it was locked to outside. The room had to be one of their most advanced containment cells. Most of the other rooms' defenses comprised of weapons imbedded in the walls, but in this case, the walls were the weapons, along with every sectioned, steel-like panel covering the room. Either one section could be used or the whole room could be put into attack mode, that attack based on whatever was connected to the panel outside. She, Melanor, and Eclypse made the room using their powers, her ability to manipulate metal, Melanor's shape shifting, and Eclypse's ability to alter reality a little, as well as some help from their computer technician.

At the moment a steady, dull pulse of light emanated from the walls, just a fraction of what the room was capable of. The light that came from the collar was that of the Keyblade, courtesy of Roxas. Eclypse had been playing around with a broken piece of equipment one day and made the collar by accident. Already it shone, so she gave it to Roxas to mess with, whose Keyblade shot one of its beams of light into one of the two small holes and filled it to the brim.

_Pure light_, Niran thought, troubled. _When you turn on the light, it only makes the darkness stronger, deeper. There has to be a balance, always_. She placed a hand on Jexa's forehead to make sure she hadn't developed any type of illness from her wounds, since sometimes remnants of poison they used on their weapons made people sick, and a gruff voice thought back.

_That's why you must let her go._

She was more curious than surprised. In different worlds she had been contacted mentally, so it was more of a question of 'who' than of 'what'. _Because the light here will harm or the light might make her darkness stronger?_

_ Both, but those don't worry me. If you don't let her go back, her universe will become unbalanced._

She heard Vincent step forward. "Niran?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. _She's not that important_, she thought, continuing the conversation. _The Organization wouldn't let her out of their sight if she were._

_ They don't know. How is your Organization entirely intact?_

_ How do you know Roxas isn't the only survivor?_

_ When she takes control of someone, I meld partway to him or her. You two had the bright idea of snapping her from you. Great for you two; she can't do anything now because I'm still disorientated._

_ You don't seem that way._

_ Because I'm talking to you. I'm still connected to you, partly, differently, so I heard something about Vexen when you brought her in earlier. He died at C.O._

_ Melanor convinced the Organization not to do the C.O mission. He became a part-time assassin for them and said he could take out any traitors later. Marluxia and Larxene straightened out._

_ I see._

_ Why is she important?_

_ She will save the Organization. The Organization is the darkness in her universe. Take the current darkness out, and a stronger force will come to take its place, one that even Sora might not be able to defeat._

_ It couldn't possibly be that bad._

_ Oh yes it could. It could be much worse._

Something in the tone gave Niran pause_. Xemnas wanted to control the Kingdom Hearts universe. It can't get much worse than that._

_ He only wanted to rule the one he knew. Try someone who wants all the universes._

_ That wouldn't be good._

_ No, it wouldn't._ The presence of the voice disappeared for a moment, then came back. _She's out like a light. Turn off this light, come back in, and I can leave you alone._

_ Why should I trust what you say? I don't even know who you are._

_ Cirix, her darkness._

Niran shook her head. _She is so odd. How can you be separate from her?_

_ That I can't tell you. But listen to this: When she wakes up and gains her strength back, she'll find the power to capture you again, but this time without my help. If you do that, then you're doomed, end of story. If you do what I'm asking, you be paralyzed for a second, just warning you, but you'll be fine after that._

_ Either way, you're going to capture me. I might as well leave now and not come back in._

_ Aren't you listening! Wait, no, I didn't explain that part, did I? I can't though. You're going to have to trust me, okay? I know you have no reason to, but unless you want your world to fall, then I suggest you turn off the light. Five seconds._

_ You better not be lying, or else I'll have her killed_, she growled_._

Cirix breathed a sigh of relief_. Thank you. I won't tell Jexa if you don't want me to._

_ Rather you keep this silent_. She took her hand off of Jexa's forehead and exited the room, formulating a plan. If anyone found out what she had agreed to, Melanor would personally find her and strap her down. He'd still find out she turned off the light and yell at her then. The idea made her smile. It was nice to have such good friends.

**(/)**

While Niran talked to Cirix, Jexa stood in front of Nothing, the translucent wall still separating her from the Dark. This time, however, sound was allowed to go from one side to the other.

Nothing rapped on the wall with his cane. "Do you know why this is here?"

"No," she said, her head down. She knew Nothing was not happy by his tone of voice and the tilt of his hat.

"Your foolishness." He began to pace. "Those assassins you fought are highly trained and in a rage. You are lucky the leader of this little band wanted you alive. What has this gained you?"

"I found Reto," she muttered.

"You could have been killed!" he roared. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Jexa raised her gaze to see him actually shaking with anger, his skin and clothes tinged with darkness. "I had to dawn this appearance so the light they are subjecting you to would not burn me. I had this wall erected so the light sticking to you would not enter the Dark. Your idiotic endeavor, that ridiculous fight, caused your darkness to be injured, perhaps forever, and you injuries." He pointed to her bandaged arm. "What would I do if you had _died_?"

Jexa cringed. His words were weapons, penetrating her barrier to emotions and hitting her soul. "Why wouldn't you help me?"

He stared at her, his eyes blazing. "I will not help while you pursue pointless objectives. I could have given you alternatives to chasing them." In a way, he softened, but his anger remained under his false calm. "I am always here to provide you with the resources you need, and if you decide to join me once this is finished, you shall have the deftness to conduct any venture you wish."

"Yes Nothing."

He frowned and closed his eyes, turning them red. He blinked again, smiled, and destroyed the wall. Jexa watched, dumbfounded, as Nothing wrapped his arms around her and stroke her hair gently. "I don't know what I would do without you, dearest," he whispered, his voice softer and more vulnerable than she ever heard it before. "You are much too precious to lose."

He let her go and put the wall back up before she could react. He tipped his hat and walked off into the darkness. Jexa stayed where she was, frozen in shock. One moment he was pissed, the next he was telling her how much she mattered. He reminded her of her father. For the first time since the day she became a Nobody, she noticed the emptiness in her chest where her heart was supposed to be. A memory surfaced in her mind, one where she read a book to a small child, the longing for the days past and the affection between her and the child evident; those emotions the ones she would have felt now if she had a heart. Still, even without a heart, she found that she liked having a place with Nothing.

_Just because I'm a Nobody_, she thought, smiling,_ doesn't mean I don't matter_.

A tap on her shoulder woke her from her content stupor. Cirix waited for her in Shadow form, finally in his right mind.

_You're ridiculous. How can you hang out with Nothing while you're captive here? There's no time for you to be stupid now,_ he chided.

The woman in the blue robes stood over her, still as Jexa was moments earlier in the Dark. _At least Nothing helped me while you sat there useless, and, unlike you, he cares._

_ How can you think he gives a damn about you! He's going to-! _Something choked him off, to Jexa relief. She had no patience for her traitorous darkness' ramblings.

"You're alright, I take it?" the woman asked. "We can't have you damaged."

Jexa rolled her eyes. "I take it you fixed me?"

She shrugged. "You could say that."

"I really didn't need any help. I would have gotten better."

"You're better now. Deal with it." She stuck out her hand. "I am Niran. Your name would be?"

Jexa ignored the offering. There would be no friendship between them. "You may call me Fourteen."

"Xion's fourteen," Niran said tersely.

"No, she's fifteen. I'm fourteen," she said slowly, making sure Niran understood. "I'm in the Organization, not you."

Niran chuckled. So she wanted to be difficult. That was fine. It only made things more interesting. "Depends on how you look at it. Anyway, _Jexa_, I'm sure you'll find that- Oh crap," she broke off, whirling around. Jexa never did find out exactly what she would find out, because a figure in white similar to the one who defeated Jexa slammed the door open, her hood down and her hair ruffled from sleep.

"NIR-AN!" she bellowed, stomping up to her, absolutely furious. Niran shrank back and pressed her lips together, obviously uncomfortable under the spotlight. Jexa watched, trying to decide whether to be curious or impassive, while Vincent exited the room. He had seen the two at it before and it was never a pretty sight, and the fact that Ookami had come in like that, not taking any preparation before showing herself to the prisoner, proved just how mad she was.

Ookami went right up in Niran's face. "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR WORSE! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN CAPTURED AGAIN! WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU SHUT OFF THE COLLAR?"

She grimaced. "Anything I say will make you angrier."

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!" Ookami yelled, becoming madder even without Niran's explanation. "GODDAMNIT, TELL ME!"

She rubbed the back of her neck and refused to face Ookami. "Two things. Just, try not to explode, please? First, it appeared that she still had some hold over me and I could rid myself of it by turning off the light. Secondly, please, _please_ don't say anything until I finish, her darkness contacted me and said it could get rid of the leftover connection if I turned off the collar."

Ookami's brown eyes had been widening since Niran began explaining, Jexa noticing with increasing pleasure, since the girl had to be an assassin because of her coat, until the point when Niran told them of Cirix's conversation with her, at which point both Jexa and Ookami exclaimed, "What?" Jexa turned inward to have a chat with her darkness, leaving the two to have at each other.

Niran shoved her hands in her pockets and became solemn. She told her story, now Ookami had to decide how to react. Nothing would ever cause Ookami to become less loyal to her friends, and that loyalty sometimes made her freak when someone close to her did something stupid, like Niran's stunt. The toll the worry her actions took on Ookami showed in her posture and the questioning, 'why do you insist on doing things like this' expression on her face. Niran wished there had been alternatives to making her worry so much, but she didn't see another way in time to change her plans.

Ookami pinched the bridge of her nose. "You drive me insane, you know that? You and your crazy ideas."

"You're already insane, but I know."

She groaned. "Why won't you take this seriously? Niran, just, you can't do this. I hate it when you do this type of stuff. I don't want the next time I hear about one of your stunts to be at your search party or, God forbid, your funeral."

Niran saw the tears welling up Ookami's eyes before she hid her face under her hood, Ookami, who never cried, who always stayed strong. She knocked the hood off and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You and Eclypse, you're my best friends. I can't stand it when either of you get hurt. If Meta Knight, Altair, and Link hadn't been there when you were injured so badly, I would have killed you because I was so mad at you for getting hurt so badly. I didn't know if you were going to die or not. I don't think any of us did."

She wiped her eyes. "Wasn't that when the 'wrong Xigbar' called?"

Niran stared at her incredulously. "Out of all that, the injuries, the attacker's return to finish you off, you bring up the other Xigbar's prank call? Can't you take anything seriously?"

The two laughed and faced Jexa again, only to find that she wasn't behind them on the bed where they left her but creeping towards the open door. Niran caused a piece of the metal roofing to fall on her, causing her to fall flat on her face and be pinned to the floor.

"Ow," Jexa mumbled from beneath the plate.

Ookami shook her head, a little annoyed. "You sure know how to ruin the moment. Hey Niran, why don't we go get something to eat? It's around dinner, isn't it, and Eclypse should be cooking tonight."

"Sure, why not? I love Chinese take-out. She's perfected the art of getting the food into those little boxes."

They left laughing, believing Jexa lay secure on the floor, crestfallen, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Niran conveniently covered her in metal from her head to her feet, preventing her from moving, but also preventing the light from reaching her. With a small, satisfied chuckle, she fell through the darkness and into the next room where the three assassins were filling their plates with Chinese food, stumbling into Ookami's back.

The assassin turned to find the Organization member staring back at her, one eyebrow raised in disbelief of her bad luck. "Well, that couldn't have gone worse," Jexa said, jolting Niran and Eclypse out of their surprise, but a second too late. She ran through a Corridor of Darkness and into another part of the base. Niran and Eclypse raced towards the stairs to get to the weapons room and alert the rest of the assassins, since the alarms wouldn't go off because they allowed her in originally, but Ookami stayed put.

"Err, Ookami, you're coming, right?" Eclypse said, being the first to notice her absence.

She turned to look at her, her eyes narrowed. "She's in the base," she growled through gritted teeth. She threw her hood up and pushed past Niran and Eclypse, her shoulders broadening and her shape changing. "She's fucking _loose_, in the fucking base, _AGAIN_!" This time it was Melanor's voice. "I'm going to fucking kill her!"

"He's pissed," Eclypse said.

"He means it," Niran added. "C'mon, if we find her first we might find out how she got out before we give her to Melanor. He'll be much happier once he kills her."

Eclypse nodded. "It'll be one less worry. You might as well get Reto into a safe place. He's the one she wants."

**(/)**

Eclypse's worries had merit, but were too late in coming. Cirix overheard Niran bragging about her apprentice earlier to Melanor, stating that he was perfectly safe and confined to the twenty-second floor and Jexa would never find him. She took the information from Cirix with a word of thanks and began shifting in shadow from room to room until she found him tangled up in his sheets, sound asleep, twitching occasionally as if in a dream. His dark brown hair hung in his eyes, a small smile coming and going. He looked so innocent and peaceful, a striking contrast to the minutes before she lost her own heart. Jexa waited a moment, wondering if he could sense his peril in his sleep, then summoned a Shadow and held it in her hand. She stroked it and tried to decide whether to place it on him or let it find him, almost believing that if she stalled for long enough, Xigbar would come in and tell her the Organization didn't need Reto. The walls were the deepest color of green without being black, one wall devoted to photos, half of them centered on Niran, Eclypse, and Melanor. She took off a group picture of them, Melanor holding Reto in a headlock, Eclypse making bunny ears behind Niran's head, and Niran swatting both of the jokers without caring where her blows went, the four of them laughing and having the time of their lives. For some reason, she decided to keep it. She pulled it from the tack sticking it to the wall, a small tear forming between Reto and the others.

_Ironic_, she thought. For the second time that day, she noticed the emptiness in her chest where her heart should have been. Another memory of emotion surfaced, this one about the moment when she came home to find her family as Shadows. It overtook her, sending her back to-

_The open door, the wind banging it against the wall behind it, seemed to tell her to back away, to leave and never come back. However, the Heartless kept growing in number and her family came first. They were her primary concern, but why would the Heartless attack them? They weren't dark. Schools now gave classes about the Heartless, either defense or information. She took both, specializing in swordplay and excelling in the intel class. All the notes she took in class she kept in a binder to study and she practiced fighting with the sword her dad bought her for her birthday, just a week past. She knew their basic moves and that they targeted the darkness in people's hearts, so to her and the ones she loved, there was no threat. She walked through the doorway, pushing the sense of foreboding away and letting the good fortune of her day shine through._

_ "Hey Mom, Dad, you'll never guess what happened today." When no one called back, she answered her own greeting. "I can do advanced defense in two weeks, and they're thinking about letting me help research the Heartless. I need you to sign stuff for both. It won't take long. There were actually some Heartless captured that we got to practice on, and…" She noticed the cold fear had seeped back in, making her ramble. Everyone should have been in the apartment and someone should have yelled back, even if it was her older brother, not the parents she called. The walls began to close in around her, the shadows in the corners twitching as if alive, but Heartless didn't enter homes. Again, she pushed the fear away._

_ "Helll-oo!" She set her bag down and walked into the living room, sensing the darkness immediately, an ability she found she had only recently. Her heart seized when she saw her mother cowering on the floor, confronted by a Soldier and a Shadow, too terrified to move or scream. Shards of shattered glass lay in puddle not too far away, the remnants of her father's drink. The Heartless snatched her mother's heart away before she could blink, turning the Shadow into a Red Nocturne and her mother into a Shadow. Now she knew why no one answered her when she called. She pulled her sword off the mantle, tears pooling in her eyes._

_ "I'm so, so-"_

"Sorry." Time kept ticking, no matter how much she wanted it to stop, and destiny called, no matter how much she wanted another path for the both of them. She placed the Shadow right above Reto's heart, the emptiness in her chest now an ache, the place where she should have been feeling the sorrow and regret portrayed in the memory. The Shadow plunged its claw into Reto's chest, wrenching out the heart and dismissed just as quickly. Reto spazzed and gasped, his dreams turning into nightmares in an instant. In his mind, his hands held the throwing stars he was accustomed to, the hold on the weapons, between his middle and index finger and his thumb holding down his ring finger and pinky, reflected into real life. Jexa recognized the jerks and twists he made as muted fighting moves and knew they were directed at whatever his worst enemies were in the greatest number. She remembered the darkness behind her, tempting her to back up and fall into peace, but she wanted her heart back more than she wanted to give in. She wondered what his motive for staying alive was. Finally a layer of darkness settled over his being and he fell unconscious. His features became lax, the mental battle over.

_Poor kid_. Jexa stared at him for a moment. Never again did she want to steal someone's heart away. How was it fair to anyone that he had been chosen to be in the Organization, especially when his world didn't even have an infestation of Heartless? He never knew he was even in danger, since the assassins let him talk to her. They probably kept him ignorant of what was actually going on. Jexa scribbled a note on his desk to the assassins saying what had happened. The ones he loved and loved him in return deserved to know what became of him. For days after becoming a Nobody she'd wondered how long it had taken the kids to figure out she wasn't coming back, even if she didn't miss them. She believed she was doing them a courtesy telling them, even if they connected the dots later, which she knew they would have. They weren't stupid. She opened a Corridor of Darkness, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and carried him through.

**(/)**

Five minutes later the door opened to reveal a sad yet hopeful Niran. When the light from the hallway illuminated the empty room, all the hope drained from her face. Even before she read the note, she knew where Reto had been taken. It only confirmed her worst fears. Reto was now a Nobody, Jexa had taken him back to her Organization, and neither of them had any reason to come back. When she gave the paper to Melanor, some areas were darker from where her tears had fallen. He crumpled it up in his initial burst of anger, then smoothed it out again, carefully folded it, and placed it in his pocket. Out of all the apprentices, Reto had been the one he favored, even going so far as to say he could possibly be the next Master Assassin. He glanced up at his friends, their grief-stricken faces stained with tears.

"When you see her again, kill her on sight."

They nodded once in agreement and understanding. Jexa was now enemy number one in Shift. Even if she never came back, they would remember her for what she did. They would not forget.


	18. Out With The Old, In With The New

Despite what she said in her note, the first place she took Reto was Zexion's. He came in bleary-eyed from sleep, his shirt off and his arms crossed. His wound looked much better, the darkness receding and duller, almost good enough to use Corridors, but Jexa decided not to say anything about it.

Zexion nodded at Reto. "I take it his was your target?"

"Yeah." She shifted him so he didn't squash her. "Do you mind if I stay here for a minute?"

He processed the information and face-palmed. "You did this against orders, didn't you?"

"Not exactly. I finished extra early on my mission, so I went to his world and got him. I'm supposed to benefit the Organization, aren't I?"

"There is a fine line between being beneficial and being insubordinate." He sighed and helped support him. "Come on. You will dislocate his shoulder if you stay standing here."

They brought him into the adjacent room and set him down on the couch. Zexion frowned and looked at the clock on the opposite wall. "You should take him back to the castle now. It will be too late in a few minutes."

"Hmm? Oh, right," she said, a second too late to escape Zexion's radar.

"What is it Jexa?"

"I hated taking his heart away," she said, her gaze fixed on the new Nobody. "I know I shouldn't hate things, but I really did hate it."

"Just because you do not have a heart does not mean you can't dislike something. You may very well have hated changing him into what he is now."

"He had everything going for him," she stated. "A good life, people who cared, a place where he belonged, and some risks to make things interesting. Then the Organization stepped in, _I_ stepped in, and took it all away."

Zexion mulled over what she said. "Jexa, there isn't enough time to explain tonight, but come back tomorrow and I'll tell you something about the Organization." He opened a Corridor back for her after she agreed, leaving her to go back to the castle while he was left wondering how much of his mind Xemnas had lost.

**(/)**

Jexa came in the Grey Area just as Saix was leaving. "Can you help me here?" she called after him.

He kept going, flipping through papers on his clipboard. "Fourteen, I have things to do, all of them more important than whatever it is you need help with. Since you cheated on your mission today, I suggest you go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow will be a long day, as you will be turning your target into a Nobody without help. I suspect it will take you more than one day."

She rolled her eyes. He couldn't spare a glance back to see what she was willing to stoop so low as to ask him for help? "You have no faith in me, do you?"

"None at all."

"Well, I got him today. I have to tell you, the hardest part was actually getting into the assassin base. Turning him into a Nobody, not so hard." She purposely left out the part when the assassins captured her so Saix wouldn't freak. Already he didn't look too happy as he slung Reto's other arm across his shoulders and helped Jexa carry him to the members' quarters. He ducked out from under him once they reached what used to be Marluxia's room, the light fuchsia walls recently repainted and the dead flowers thrown out.

"His cloaks are in the closet," he told her. "Have Demyx dress him in one. While he does that, you are to go to Xemnas and report."

"That's worse than fighting the assassins," she muttered under her breath. In all honesty, the thought of going to Xemnas didn't bother her, but she would have rather tend to her arm and go to bed. The day had been much too long for her liking.

She knocked on Xemnas' door, which was right next to Reto's new room.

"Enter," came the deep, semi-dramatic response. Jexa opened the door, shut it behind her, and folded her hands behind her back.

"Superior, I managed to turn my target, Reto, into a Nobody and bring him back here," she said. "I believe he will have power over emotion in some form or another."

Xemnas kept writing at his desk, the state Jexa found him in when she came in. She refrained from asking if he heard her because, for some odd reason, even blank, he freaked her out. One small part of her commanded her to run, to hide and never voluntarily step in front of the Organization's leader, but she snuffed it out quickly. It gave her no help now. If only she knew what he planned she might feel more comfortable around him, but that didn't appeal much to her. Someone who could scare a Nobody deserved as much space as possible.

Xemnas jotted one last thing down and stood up, his golden eyes locked onto the bandages on her arm. "I see he presented a problem."

She rotated her shoulder to displace some of the pain; the assassins hadn't given her any anesthesia. "Not him, one of his mentors. He has three, all of them Nobodies who, cannot enter this world." She refrained telling him they had regained their hearts so they wouldn't be troubled by the Organization, who would've destroyed worlds to get to their Kingdom Hearts. They had enough to worry about.

"A pity." He moved in front of his window and stared out at the city, his hands folded like Jexa's. "Fourteen, I commend you for your admiral service. I hope you continue to serve the Organization in such a manner."

She nodded briskly. "Of course. Will that be all, Superior?" _Please let that be all. I want to leave._

"Not quite. You see, I would like you to mentor him. Explain our ways and the Heartless to him."

Jexa noticed the unease gnawing at her, one thing she felt she needed to address. "Sir, with all due respect, shouldn't that duty be given to someone more experienced? Besides Xion, I am the most inexperienced member of the Organization."

He waved her concerns away and returned to his serene pose. "You have been with us long enough to know you are competent as the others. You survived Castle Oblivion when members more than twice your age and experience did not. I believe you can execute this task with ease."

It was obvious nothing more was to be said about the topic. "Yes Superior."

He rotated so she was in his peripheral vision, a smirk visible to Jexa from her vantage point. "Good. I am glad we could come to an understanding."

"Yes Superior."

He went back to whatever he started before she came in, which Jexa took as a sign to leave, but he hadn't finished yet. "Is your training complete?"

She took her hand off the door handle and stood at attention again. "Sir, I believe so. I know the Organization's goals, how to pursue them, and my fighting skills have improved dramatically since I joined."

"That is not what I meant. How have you come along with your element?"

The question struck her as one more personal until she realized that what he wanted to know was how much better she could predict the future or control people. "Fairly well, Superior. I have come to understand it better and control the basics of it with greater ease."

He chuckled, causing the hairs on the back of Jexa's neck to stand up. She chided herself for the foolishness while Xemnas continued. "Your definition and mine of 'fairly well' must differ greatly. To me, it seems you have not gained any progress. You did not even mention your, predictions."

Jexa literally bit her tongue to keep from snapping at him and counted to five to clear her mind. After her initial offense, she saw he had a point. There were no differences between when she joined the Organization and the present in terms of her powers, unless one counted how she brought Zexion back from the brink of death, but she didn't since she couldn't tell anyone. In fact, her powers had decreased since then; no longer did she pull up little pieces of the future at a moment's notice.

"I suppose you're right," she said after reflecting. "I'll have to work on it."

Demyx stuck his head in the door, too freaked to actually enter. Both of the Nobodies in the room, now staring at him, scared him, and although Jexa acted decent now, they weren't BFFs like Roxas, Axel, and Xion, and anyone who wasn't afraid of Xemnas was either insane or very dense.

"Um, I don't know where the new guy is, and Saix wanted me to get him in his cloak," he said nervously.

"Jexa will show you," Xemnas said, shutting his version of the journal all Nobodies kept. "We can continue our conversation on a later basis." He locked eyes with her, gold with blue, and smiled wryly, as if enjoying some personal joke. Jexa waited for him to break the contact before hurrying out as fast as politeness would allow. Demyx held the door open, a gesture showing that he knew that how uncomfortable a one-on-one talk with Xemnas was, but she only glared at him and opened Reto's door.

Demyx slouched and bent his head. "Marluxia's room. I hate this room."

"Why?" she asked, regretting it as soon as the word came out of her mouth. Some questions were better left unanswered, especially when it came to Demyx and his experiences. The incident with 'Mr. Fluffy' still rang clear in her mind.

"Marluxia had a lot of flowers, like, tons, and all roses. First, the place smelled so sweet it made me sick; only he and Larxene liked it. I think I actually threw up in there one time," he added thoughtfully.

Jexa grimaced. "Do you have to give it so much thought?"

"Yes, yes I do," he said seriously. "Anyway, the other reason is that he tried to have me water his flowers. They were _everywhere_, so I-"

Jexa held up a hand. "Don't tell me. You sprayed the water everywhere."

"Nope. I told Mar-Mar it was too much work, so he took my sitar away from me, nearly broke it, and flooded this whole floor."

"You mean the hall."

"No, the _floor_, as in the whole level of the castle."

Her eyes widened. His weapon packed a punch if it could flood a whole floor of the castle. "So, what happened?"

He shrugged, unhappy with the memory. "Marluxia got his flowers watered, duh, and I got my sitar taken away and Saix made me clean up the castle. It took me for-_ever_."

"That wasn't exactly fair."

"Meh, that's my life for you. Most of the time it is my fault though."

Jexa noticed the sadness and the request of pity in his voice, neither of which she wanted any part. She threw the door open and walked away, leaving Demyx to wonder where he went wrong in the conversation.

She saw Saix coming out of his room on the far end of the hall. "Hey," she called. "Any special reason why the recruit has to be dressed in our finest now? Can't he do it himself?"

"What does it matter to you?" he countered.

She put her hands up to show she really didn't know. "Hey, I just remember thinking about how the cloak wasn't what I was wearing the last time I was awake and that it made me more disorientated. He has enough to take in when he gets up."

"The cloak keeps the Nobody safe while he or she gets used to darkness," he explained. "Without it, the Nobody could end up fading to darkness anyway because the darkness becomes too invasive and aggressive. It is extremely rare, but we would rather not take chances."

"Alright then. I wouldn't want my work to go to waste," she said. Saix past and ignored her on his way to Xemnas' room with his daily report, at which point she slipped in her room and banged her head against the wall. She almost felt bad for being so insensitive towards the newest member.

_Cirix, stop messing with my mind,_ she snapped, keeping where she was.

He laughed. _This all you. You never one for being mean. Still don't have stomach for it, I guess._

She rolled her eyes and went to the bathroom to treat her injuries. She hadn't meant to be malicious, but that was how it came out. As she was reaching for the bandages on the top shelf of the cabinet, she found that the shelves weren't stable the hard way. One she stood one slipped from under her feet and the one she clung to near the top fell also, along with its contents, the relatively heavy medical supplies. Jexa stumbled and regained her balance before she fell, but forgot her injuries and threw her arms up to protect her head when she saw the stuff coming at her. The box fell corner-first on her arm. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, choosing to swear under her breath instead, cursing the pain in her arm, the medicine box, and her rotten luck most of all, since that covered mostly everything in the past twenty-four hours.

Awhile later, she climbed into bed, taking special care not to lie on her injured side. She stared at the ceiling, wondering how to proceed in matters. In addition to Zexion and her mental battles, she now had Xemnas' personal expectations and Reto's instruction to deal with, not to mention whatever was coming next. Something she had no time for always seemed to find her, like the assassins' ambush. Not for the first time, she wondered how much easier life would be if she accepted Nothing's offer of her loyalty for power and information. To have the ability to do whatever she wanted, regardless of pain or weakness, while knowing every move the enemy would make seemed like such a wonderful prospect, especially when all she had to do was say, 'okay,' to make it a reality.

_What the heck_, she thought. _There's nothing to lose. Might as well._

Cirix waited for her in the Dark in his Shadow form, his antennae flattened to his head. "Hello, Jexa," he said sadly.

"Hello Cirix," she said, crouching down to his level. "Why the long face?"

He refused to look at her. "You've chosen him over me."

"No I haven't."

"You're going to take up his offer."

She rolled her eyes. "If that's all it's about, why don't you make an offer? Then you can say I chose him over you if I take up his offer."

His head snapped around. "You mean it?"

"Sure."

Even without a mouth, she knew he was smiling, at least until he tackled her. "Thank you thank you thank you! You won't regret it, I promise!"

She fell back and tried to disentangle him from around her neck, but he clung too tightly. She pressed her lips together and waited for the embarrassed Shadow to slide off. "So, what's your offer?"

"For you to use darkness correctly."

"There's a wrong way?"

He thought about it. "Depends on who you ask, but that's not the point. What I'm going to give you is the ability to actually use darkness, like manipulating Shadows and better control over Heartless."

"Not good enough." She turned around to see Nothing waiting for her in the distance, leaving her to come to him instead of the other way around like usual. She jogged towards him, aggravating the pain in her head caused by the day's exertions, but in a few seconds it wouldn't matter.

"Wait!" he yelled, but she kept going. There was no point in hearing what he had to say. Nothing smiled and held out his hand, Jexa only a couple yards away.

"Just try it!"

She looked back, intrigued not by the promise of power but curiosity, the desire to know what it'd be like to experience another side of darkness.

"I'm listening."

Nothing cleared his throat. "I assure you dearest, what he offers cannot compete with my proposition."

"In terms of power, yes," Cirix said venomously. "But if you look at it other ways, they could be equal or mine could beat yours. Don't stretch the truth too far." Nothing recoiled slightly, his jaw set as if Cirix had threatened him somehow and needed to be taught a lesson for such insubordinate action.

"If I recall correctly, you were the last to break a rule, so you have no right to be accusing me."

"Actually, I should be warning you so you don't make the same mistakes."

_This is not going to end well._ The two looked ready to rip each other's throats out, Jexa the only thing standing between them and that goal. She went over to Cirix and hit him on the head to get his attention, since she didn't dare do that to Nothing.

"What are you two fighting over?"

Cirix punched the air in victory. "Finally!"

"Don't you dare tell her!" Nothing roared, pointing his cane at them.

Whatever they were fighting over, she knew she was about to be dragged into the middle of it, which she really didn't need or want. She held her hand up to have them stop. "Fine. Maybe I don't want to know-"

"You do," Cirix pushed.

"You most definitely do not," Nothing objected.

"-Or maybe I do, but I'm not going to ask," she finished. "Cirix, what were you talking about before this?"

He dragged his claws over his face, leaving gashes that healed quickly. "Uhh, sorry, didn't hear you over my agony. Were you even talking to me?"

"Maybe if you weren't mauling yourself you wouldn't be in agony."

"It's internal. I'm a sensitive soul."

"You're an annoying soul."

He pouted. "Now you've hurt my feelings."

Nothing began tapping his foot impatiently. "For the destruction of light, will you hurry up?"

Jexa chuckled. "Is that like 'for the love of God'?"

"Yes."

Cirix pounced on Jexa's shoulder, staying there for the two seconds it took for her to knock him off. He looked up at her pitifully. "Ahem, I believe I was having a moment here. Doesn't anyone care about me?"

"No," Nothing hissed under his breath, too low for the others to hear. For all he cared, Cirix could go jump off a cliff. He dreamed of the stupid creature jumping off a cliff, actually.

Jexa rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to take it up or no?"

Cirix shrugged. "Sure I do, but I don't think you want to."

"I'm staying, I'm thinking about it. How does that mean I don't want to?"

"I'm glad you asked, because-"

"She said she didn't want to know," Nothing growled, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. "Now, will you tell her what it is you want her to agree to so we can move on?"

He pouted and fell back. "Take my offer for a month at the basic level, meaning you have to work at it to get good, and then you can take his full offer. You can keep the abilities you have now, but their power will be halved."

"That's still not very good, but it's better and I can work with it," Jexa said, to Nothing's surprise. He lowered his head and tipped his hat forward so his eyes were hidden from view.

"Dearest, you should reconsider. Much can happen in a month's time. To put yourself at risk for such a trivial pursuit, it is simply not worth it."

"A month's a month. I've been fine, except for the assassin attack, and no one could have predicted that since it was in Shift. I'll do this." She shook Cirix's hand, sealing their deal. He smiled and bowed to her, much like the first time she saw him as a Shadow. She cuffed his head and walked out of the Dark. As she left, she heard Cirix's triumphant voice ring loud and clear:

"In your face!"

She sat up in the castle and draped one arm over her knee, relaxing in the quiet and absence of the two warring guys. "He has issues," she said to herself, then, a little freaked, "What does that say for me?" It meant nothing after a few seconds; she pushed the matter aside and focused on any potential changes her agreement with Cirix might have made. Even though she felt no different, that didn't mean things hadn't changed. He'd promised things would be different. She got up and banged on the wall.

"Demyx, get over here, I need your help," she said.

"Tired…" he moaned.

She touched her darkness and walked over to his door, but just as she was ready to control him, Axel past her on his way to the kitchen. She grinned and controlled him instead, but her smile quickly faded when she realized just how much energy she had to put into holding him there. For a month, she would have only just enough energy to hold a person for a maximum of five minutes before risking exhaustion. She let go of him before he knew what happened and walked out onto Naught's Skyway, then tried to focus on what became of Riku after his trial with Xehanort's Heartless at Hollow Bastion. What she ended up with was a fuzzy, muted version of the event instead of the usual crystal clear, understandable quality. She crossed her arms and looked out over the neon city, concerned with how Xemnas would see this.

_He's impressed with what I had, not with my half-baked powers_. She tried to make the shadows in a corner snake out over the floor but only managed to succeed in drawing them out a little bit before they snapped back into place. _I can't even use what I have now. Cirix, what am I going to do with this? How am I going to work with this for a month?_

_ That's exactly it. You're going to work with them. Try making Pureblood Heartless do things, or move shadows like you were doing._

She sighed_. I don't like this._

_ Jexa, this is what you were made for. You're a magician, not a fighter, just like Zexion. He has several years of experience on you, that's all._

She scanned the dark city, her city, and wondered if the Neoshadows that inhabited the place could be taught to defend it if they had the right teacher. How nice it'd be to know that it was safe from attackers all the time, not just when someone sent a Dusk to make sure no one got in somehow. Besides, becoming more adept at the art of using darkness meant that the Organization suffered fewer risks since she, their self-appointed guardian, could defend against more.

_Fine_, she answered. _I'll work on it. Do I need you all the time to do this?_

_ No, you can do it on your own._

She paused. _You're not illiterate. Does this mean you're staying in Shadow form?_

_ No, just for tonight. Now go to bed. It's late and you have the kid to teach._

_ Kid? He's older than me._

_ Makes no difference_. He laughed at something only he saw. Jexa left it alone. He was right; she needed to go to bed. She went back to her room and turned the lights off, expecting to fall asleep immediately, but she stayed staring at the city for awhile, a sense of something to come, an event she failed to place in any category, bugging her in the back of her head.

_Whatever it is,_ she thought, _I'll deal with it. I've got the Organization and darkness on my side. Nothing promised me that darkness._

Saix woke her up early next morning. She took one look at him, shut her eyes, and rolled over. "Too early," she muttered.

He pulled her back. "He's waking up. You need to go now."

She threw off the covers and his hand as well as the small amount of annoyance Saix created for her when he came in. While she sifted through her cloaks to find one without a rip, he noticed the bandages around her arm.

"What happened to you this time?"

She glanced back at him. "You act like I come back with wounds every mission. You didn't notice this yesterday?"

"I was trying to help you carry him in."

"Reto. His name is Reto. Anyway, I got into a fight with some senior assassins, lucky I didn't get hurt more."

Saix pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are hopeless, you know that?"

"Define 'hopeless'."

"No one can help you."

She crossed her arms and faced him, now that she found a cloak. "That's not very nice. You've hurt my feelings."

He began to leave, fed up with her antics. "Hurry up," he ordered.

"Sir yes sir," she said without any emphasis. She dressed and went to Reto's room to find him in a fitful sleep, tossing and turning and biting his lip so hard she thought it might bleed. It reminded her of how he became a Nobody the previous night, not a memory she wanted to visit. Really, it shouldn't have bothered her, but her conscience refused to drop it. How could she have done that to him when he did nothing to her? Then and there she decided not to tell him she had the Heartless steal his heart, not because she thought it was right, but to prove to herself that she felt nothing about the incident. If it didn't matter, why confess? No one needed to tell unimportant details to others, especially when telling might cause things to become more complex. Despite her best efforts, she still despised the whole situation.

Reto groaned and pushed himself up. He took one look at the room and fell back down again. "Captured," he muttered. "Melanor's going to kill me."

"Not exactly," Jexa said. Reto bolted upright and saw the cloaked figure standing against the wall.

"Who're you?"

She smirked. _He doesn't remember me. This makes things simpler_. "I'm Jexa, Number Fourteen, Prodigy of the Shadows. You'll get your name when the meeting starts, your title once you've shown your stuff. For now, you're only Sixteen, written X-V-I."

"But my name's-"

"Ah ah!" She moved forward and clamped her hand over his mouth. "Whatever your name was, it's gone. Xemnas will give you your new name soon, don't worry."

He pushed her hand away, his head cocked to one side. "You don't have any vibes. Tell me, what are you feeling? I can't tell."

She chuckled. She wondered how he kept his head straight right now when she could barely form a sentence in the beginning. She decided that everyone handled it differently and she needed to answer his question. "The same thing you are."

The girl spoke in too many riddles for his liking, but he tried to find out what he felt nonetheless. He probed where his heart should have been but fell straight through. "I should be surprised," he thought aloud. "I should be panicking now."

Jexa remembered those lines from when she became a Nobody. Those had been her exact thoughts. "You're a Nobody, with a capital 'N'. I'll explain our kind to you once the meeting's done with, as well as the Heartless. That'll probably be our mission for the day," she mused. "Just explanations and questions."

Reto took a minute to absorb the information. These people, Jexa and Xemnas at the very least, took him from the assassin's base, not an easy feat, and did something to him to make him lose his feelings. He rubbed his hand against the white sheets, his black glove a stark contrast. He studied it and the matching outfit while Jexa conversed with another person, another Nobody, in the same black coat. Outside the window, a starless sky spread across a city dimly lit by flickering neon lights with skyscrapers spread as far as the eye could see. From what he could discern, they were up pretty high, greatly reducing his chances of getting out.

"Hey, we need to go now," Jexa said, interrupting his train of thoughts. He barely nodded, his feet sliding off the bed automatically. She waited for him at the door, then they silently walked down the halls together.

"It gets better after awhile," she assured him. "Being without a heart. You get used to it."

"I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to get used to."

She looked up at him; he surpassed her by two inches. He still had that mess of brown hair and the unusual hazel eyes, but something struck her as different. She put it off for later. "You're confused right now. The shock of having your heart stolen does that to you. Don't worry, you'll be back to your old self soon enough, if you still want to be your old self, that is. Some prefer to act like they still have hearts while others don't pretend."

"I have a heart," he insisted.

She chuckled at his mess up, again reminded of her own experiences. "Pretty sure you don't. We're here. Don't say anything while we're in there. Don't say your name if you remember it, blah blah blah, let's go." She opened the door that normally wasn't there, temporarily put there by Xigbar on orders from Xemnas, and walked into the meeting room with Reto in tow. The Organization members, usually half asleep so early in the morning, all watched the newest member with interest. They sensed the difference in him as well, even though they never met him before. He differed from them in some way, though they couldn't put their finger on it.

"Good morning friends," Xemnas said when Jexa and Reto reached the center of the circle. "Another members joins our ranks today. Let me be the one to introduce you to Torex, Number Sixteen."

No one moved an inch to wave or give any sign they welcomed Reto, now Torex. The silence was deafening; they all wanted to know what set him apart.

Xemnas tilted his head downwards, giving himself a menacing look that made Jexa's breath catch. She scolded herself for the stupidity of her reaction while he said, "I am sure you all are eager to know why this man is special enough to wear the coat." He let the statement hang in the air, the Organization waiting impatiently. "He has power over emotions."

Torex stared at his shoes, seemingly oblivious to the disbelief of the other members. In fact, the overload of information had caused him to retreat inwards, a trick Niran taught him in case shock and too much information threatened to burn him out. Nothing anyone said or did meant anything now.

"Sooo, does this mean he has a heart?" Demyx asked.

Axel shook his head. "No Demyx, it means he can influence what people with hearts feel."

"So he doesn't have a heart?"

"No!"

He sunk back in his chair. "I'm confused."

"You're always confused," Jexa said. Demyx stuck his tongue out at her, not daring to do anything else when Saix and Xemnas were in the room.

"He must be a fair fighter if his element is so limited," Xaldin interrupted.

"Chh, what I want to know is why the kid's puttin' me on edge as if he's showing me exactly how good a fight he should put up," Xigbar said, one of his Arrowguns in hand to make himself feel a bit better. Everyone except Roxas agreed. He sat in his chair with his head in his hands, a memory trying to push its way to the surface through his skull. Axel watched him out of the corner of his eye, now more concerned as to why his best friend was reacting this way to Torex than the newbie's strangeness.

"He causes you this unease because he felt this the moment before his heart was stolen," Xemnas explained. "Those with hearts would call it 'dread'."

Saix's eyes grew wide. "Superior, do you mean he is causing us to feel emotions?"

Xemnas shook his head. "No, only to have a sense of what he is imposing. Once his powers mature, we will not have this problem."

"How long?" Xigbar asked. Only he challenged the Superior like that. It was amazing that he still was alive.

"No longer than two days," Xemnas said. "Are there any further questions?" No one responded. They didn't dare question how the new Nobody had these powers. "This meeting is over." He disappeared in a column of darkness, leaving behind eight puzzled members.

"Guess that means show's over," Luxord said. "Time will tell exactly what he is."

"It isn't as if we don't already know, Poker Face," Xigbar said. "He's a kid who controls emotion, dumb as a rock, obviously not hearing a word we say…"

Luxord flicked a card up to the Freeshooter. "If you were referring to how I am much, much better at poker than you, you're absolutely right."

He caught the card, the queen of hearts. "Is this a joke? I can't tell. Half of the things you say or do are as if you just want to confuse me."

While the two bickered and the rest of the Organization chatted with one another, Saix looked up at Xaldin and said, "If you wouldn't mind?"

The Whirlwind Lancer nodded; they had gone through this before. He summoned his six lances and threw one into the face of each of the members, excluding Saix and Torex since he didn't need them.

Axel gave him a pained look. "If you want our attention, just _ask_. You don't need to nearly stab us."

Saix cleared his throat. "Go to the Gray Area, everyone except those standing in the center, and no, you can't go down there. If you are standing there, then you have an hour to prepare for work. That's all." The members left one by one, eventually leaving Jexa and Torex in the room alone. She tugged on his coat and opened a portal to his room. She could teach him how to do that later instead of forcing him to learn by leaving him there like Saix did to her.

"C'mon," she said gently, pulling him out of his stupor. "You can go back and have an hour to yourself before we start. That's the general rule."

Jexa left him in his room and went back to her own, eager to escape Torex's projected despondence. Through the meeting she hadn't wanted to know why he was different but why his reception by Xemnas wasn't like hers. With her, he introduced her and left, no explanations for why she joined or any other considerations. In a way, she liked it better that way. Let Xemnas have a new interest. Let another person be the one he had a fascination with. She listened to Demyx's muffled complaints coming from the next room for a minute while she switched gears to how to tell Torex about the important things, although what the Organization considered important she didn't know after their goals, Nobodies, and Heartless. Some of the things she knew weren't exactly common knowledge. She began to pull on the shadows in the room, the last remnants of Torex's magic fading away. She had one hour to do nothing, to relax, and she wasn't about to waste it fussing over the little things. The best plans were made as skeletons and filled in as the circumstances arose.


	19. Insanity on New Years

Zexion would have cringed at Jexa's idea of a good plan. He had planned this moment out since his scouting of Hollow Bastion a while ago. Xemnas didn't send people on missions the place, so he hadn't realized how bad things became since he left several years ago. Heartless rampaged through the streets that once almost shone with light. The carefully manicured gardens were gone now, replaced by stone and pipes that did little justice to the former glory. Ansem's castle had to be fairing the worst. Many memories called those ruins home, and indeed it was one big ruin. The staircases leading up to the forecourt no longer existed, a giant Heartless symbol swallowed the front, and some parts of it had fallen off completely. It bore little resemblance to the once majestic research facility. He hadn't seen the inside since he didn't think his side could handle Corridors, but he thought that the inside would be just as bad. It was a sobering idea.

Most people went about their business without a care for the state of their world, but one group of people had decided to do something about it, the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Zexion had heard people talking about how nice they were to take time out to fix things up. The name 'Merlin' popped up in their conversation, so that was whom he wanted to find. However, this Merlin didn't appear in public very often, so he had no idea where to look. He had time, so it wouldn't matter how long it took to find him.

He stopped in the bailey. No one ever wanted to go past it since only Heartless lived out that way. The mass of Heartless underneath the destroyed castle reminded him again of how bad a shape his childhood world was in. A slight wind started up, carrying the stench of the Heartless' putrid darkness to him. He turned around so he wouldn't have to endure it, finding a man staring at him from the shadows.

"It's getting worse," the man said. "And it's only going to get worse unless someone does something."

Zexion nodded in agreement. "I've heard of a group of people who have decided to change Hollow Bastion back into Radiant Gardens. Do you know of them?"

The man stepped forward, a scar between his eyes and a long sword strapped to his back. "Yeah. I guess you can say I'm the head of it."

Thunder rumbled from far away, the warnings of a storm. The wind picked up, filling the room with the overpowering smell of Heartless. Zexion nearly gagged. "Would you mind if we went somewhere else? The Heartless…" He left the sentence hanging for the man to finish.

"They make you a bit uneasy, don't they? There's so many of them…" He tore his gaze from the trench full of the dark creatures and nodded towards the entrance. "C'mon, I know a place." Zexion followed him out to a small house he past by every day. He knocked on the door and called, "Yuffie, open up. I brought a guest."

The door swung inward to reveal a highly energetic girl with short black hair. "Hi Leon! Hey, who're you?" she said, smiling and wrapping her arm around Zexion, who looked to Leon for help. He shrugged to say, 'there's nothing I can do.' Yuffie led, more like dragged, Zexion in. A blonde man with a cigarette in his mouth sat in front of an elaborate computer, hammering away at the keys, while a woman dressed in pink and an old man in blue robes talked about what way would be best to eliminate the Heartless.

"That's Cid, Aerith, and Merlin," she said, pointing to each person.

"Excuse me a moment, my dear," Merlin said to Aerith. He helped Zexion out from Yuffie's trap and pointed his wand at him. "How far from here do you live?"

If this was Merlin, the great magician, then the man could extract the information some other way if he lied. "Not far," he said.

"So that's why my things have been going haywire. Another magician. Figures," he grumbled.

Zexion silently watched him tinker with his instruments. Merlin lived up to his reputation as a great wizard hands down. Only the best were able to sense magic in others. He went over to the stacks of books at the far side of the room, as his Lexicon needed a few new stories added to it. All the ones in it currently he had read a thousand times over. He left his book on one of the piles and went over to see why one book held a place all of its own. To his surprise, Sora was on the cover. Just as he was about to open it, Merlin put a hand on his shoulder.

"That, my boy, is a very special book," he said. "It used to have the most curious ability of awaking a person's innermost powers, but now, I'm afraid, it won't do that anymore. I believe it must have something to do with the change in the clasp. It used to be a keyhole, but now it's gone. I wonder how that happened."

Zexion nodded. If Sora was on the cover, then that must mean that he visited this place, obviously a word of sorts, and sealed its keyhole along with whatever power it provided others. Interesting. If there was some way to unlock keyholes, then that power could be released again. That was another thing the Organization needed to be informed of when he returned.

"So, what's your name?" Yuffie said, poking him in the arm.

"Ienzo," he said. Only the original Organization members would know it was him with that name, versus the whole Organization if he used the other one. "I'd like to help you change Hollow Bastion back to Radiant Gardens."

Aerith walked up to him, her hands meshed together. "Thank you, Ienzo. We can use all the help we can get." She waited for some type of response, but he only stared for a moment before turning his back to her.

Zexion picked his book up, unsure as to how he should have reacted. It had been awhile since anyone thanked him for something so trivial. "I want to see this place as it was back when I was younger," he explained. "I dislike seeing it in such a poor condition."

"We all do," Leon said. "But we can't take any chances. What can you do to help?"

"Leon!" Yuffie scolded. "He's offering to help us. You were the one who said more people should be concerned."

"He's right," Zexion admitted. "I am no use to you if I can't do anything. Honestly, I am not one for combat, but I have extensive knowledge of Heartless and Nobodies."

"Nobodies?" Aerith said.

Zexion nodded. "If they haven't show, they will. You would know if they did. They are much harder to kill than Heartless, be sure of that."

The others exchanged worried glances. "I don't know how you know about Nobodies, but think you better tell us what they are," Leon said. Zexion nodded and sat down on the steps leading up to the table. This would make for a long story.

**(/)**

While Zexion began his lecture on Nobodies and Heartless, Jexa finished telling hers. Torex had taken it all in rather well, although his projected sense of dread had become greater. Now they walked through the halls, Jexa giving him a tour of the castle. She didn't dislike the experience of teaching a new member as much as Saix, but she still would rather be outside of the castle.

"This is the Grey Area," she said. "It's where we come every morning to leave for our missions. You remember those, right?"

He nodded. "Saix gives them to us every day. We finish them and come back here. We do what we can for the Organization."

The words came out too automatically for her liking. "You're still not okay with this, are you? You know what? Let's get out of the castle. It's oppressing." She opened a Corridor to Twilight Town and led Torex through, who was just alert enough to absorb information and follow directions. She stretched under the warmth of the sun when they came out. "It's nice here. Why don't we find something to do?"

"I thought I was supposed to be learning today," he droned.

She nodded, finding it hard to believe that he wouldn't like to do something other than stand around. "You did and now we're taking a break, or hands-on learning, whatever happens."

He looked at her quizzically. A minute ago she told him how important it was to do what the Organization said and now they were walking around in this world without a care for orders. "I thought you would be one for rules."

She pulled a pamphlet out of an information box and unfolded it. "Sometimes. If it's important, then yeah, I'll do it by the book, but if it's a little thing like this, I'll do it my own way. Hmm, the Struggle sounds good, oh, that's not for another few months. A tram ride to the beach, no, that costs munny. Some game where you hit a ball continuously, meh." She stuck it back in its slot. "Nothing good here. I could get you some sea salt ice cream if you want. Apparently that's okay."

"What do you mean 'apparently'?"

"Everyone else loves it. It made me throw up."

For a minute he thought she was joking, but when she said nothing, he realized that she meant it, it being throwing up and offering the same ice cream that made her do it. "I'll keep my insides in, thanks."

Jexa noticed that the dread had dropped, a big relief. The fact that his powers could get past her barriers wasn't a pleasant thought. It made her wonder what else had the ability to break it down. Still, he had the right to be concerned. It was a wonder that he recovered so quickly.

"You're not like the others," he said thoughtfully as they entered the tram common.

"Neither are you. Do you want a pretzel?"

"Sure. Back on topic, you don't pretend to have emotions at all. You don't react."

"I'm a Nobody. What do you expect?" She paid the cashier at one of the stores for their food and gave one of the pretzels to Torex.

"Thanks," he said. "But seriously, don't you even try?"

"You shouldn't pretend," she said around a mouthful of food. "We're _Nobodies_."

"I get that, but don't you want a heart?

"Don't I?" she mused. The Organization's whole purpose was to gain hearts of their own, but she rarely thought about getting hers back. Normally she tried to suppress the few emotions her mind made up for her. The last time she missed her heart was when she stole Torex's, and even then she felt that it was better not to have a heart since it would have hurt to feel all those emotions. "I dunno. It doesn't really bother me not to have one. I don't know if I want it back."

"I do," he said, a small smile on his face. "If I had one, you would be tangled up in fishing line once we got back to the nonexisting place. I use to love doing pranks like that."

"Castle That Never Was and The World That Never Was, depending on which you meant," she corrected. "What difference does it make between doing it with or without a heart?" She ducked down to avoid hitting her head on the top of the entrance to the woods. Torex followed in the same fashion.

"None, I guess. What's the difference between pretending to have a heart and having one?"

She slowed her pace to let him fall in step with her so he could see her glare. "That's a stupid question. You're pretending to have a heart as a Nobody. You shouldn't pretend to be something you're not."

"Must be great," he said. "Being so rigid. Loosen up a bit."

"Hmph. When you've been a Nobody a bit longer, you can talk to me about faking emotions. I don't see a reason to talk to you about it when you don't know what you're talking about."

He finished off his snack and thought about climbing the trees just to make Jexa ticked, just to see her ticked, but it was his first day and he didn't think that would be a great idea. "I know we're lacking something and trying to get it back, or at least most of us are. Why suffer in the mean time?"

Jexa shrugged. "You can't suffer if you don't have a heart. Now, you need to know how to open a portal."

He held his hand out like she had before and summoned one. "Just the thought, huh?"

Jexa walked through the portal, wondering where it led. She hadn't given him any specific place to go to. The sound of rain pattering on the windows greeted her as she stepped into Zexion's house, which did not have Zexion in it. In fact, it looked like he hadn't been in it all day. He wasn't well enough to be caught out in a storm like that one.

"I'm going to kill him once I find him," she said, walking back into the woods to Torex.

"Kill who?"

She brushed the hair out of her eyes, regaining her composure. "An old friend of mine. He wasn't supposed to leave where I put him, especially not in the weather they're having in that world." She shut the Corridor before he could see what she was talking about. "You opened a portal there because it was the last place you went, but you won't be going to very many worlds that way. This time, focus on The World That Never Was."

He took in a deep breath and opened a second portal, which indeed led to The World That Never Was. The gloomy streets and lack of any kind of natural light belonged only to that place. Jexa nodded her approval when she came back and kept walking through the forest. The rustle of leaves and small creatures reminded her of her former home back in her old world. It provided no comfort, but it called to her nonetheless, almost a promise of safety and simplicity. She longed for that old life.

Torex watched the ground as they moved along, trying to piece the puzzle together as they moved along, just as Niran, Melanor, and Eclypse told him to do not so long ago, yet he always fell short. These people without hearts needed to regain their hearts by completing Kingdom Hearts, but with so many working on the problem, they should have done that long ago. Their organization skills showed that they hadn't started yesterday. What was Kingdom Hearts exactly anyway? A kingdom for hearts, to hearts, of hearts, something else entirely, or all of the above? And what was the Organization? They claimed to only want their hearts back, but Nobodies only lacked hearts. They still had dreams, hopes, and desires. He didn't believe that they only wanted their hearts back, not as individuals. What little he caught of the meeting supported his idea, but he needed more information. He decided not to run away and try to find Shift quite yet. They could still provide some insight to these new things. For now, he wanted to know exactly where they were. An iron gate stood in front of them, closed by a padlock and chains, and the trees finally cleared to reveal a mansion beyond.

"Where're we-?" Before he could finish his sentence, Jexa shoved him into the bushes.

"Be quite. Riku's coming," she whispered. He noticed the way he eyes shone when she said it, the way she crouched in anticipation.

A Corridor opened in front of the gates, a young man dressed in an Organization coat stepping out of it. Torex didn't recognize his build but Jexa did, obvious from the smirk on her face. Despite all the portrayals of emotion, she still gave him no hint as to what she thought she should feel. He wondered why.

"We Organization XIII members should keep a low profile," she said quietly. "But I can never resist a good taunt or revenge. You want to try out your powers?"

"Exactly how do I do that?" he said.

Jexa put up her hood and Torex's in case Riku looked back at them. "Quiet," she hissed. "Do whatever comes natural. Impose something on him, an idea that he should be angry or something. Imagine an emotion, think of a memory, but whatever you do, do it quick. I'm going now." She jumped out of the bushes and tapped Riku on the shoulder, who was about to go back through the portal.

"Long time no see, old pal," she said, her voice tinted with darkness. He wheeled around, Way to Dawn drawn. His hand flickered up to his face, his nose scrunched up in disgust.

"You! So you're the dead Heartless smell."

She drew her sword and pointed it at him. "That's not very nice. Saying mean things will get you in trouble. You know what else gets you into trouble? Fighting meaningless fights." Torex wondered what she meant by that.

Riku didn't know what she meant, nor did he care. DiZ told him that the Nobodies would confuse him the first chance they found, and so far DiZ had never been wrong. "I'll show you how much trouble I can be if you know how to fight fair." He readied himself for a fight, but dropped his Keyblade almost as soon as he got in his stance. His head snapped around to the mansion, his hand clutching his heart. "Sora!" He opened a portal and ran through, leaving Jexa and Torex behind. Fourteen chuckled and opened a Corridor of her own back to the castle.

"Well done Torex. What did you do?"

He stepped out from the bushes, his gaze locked on the place Riku left from. "I remembered how close Melanor and I were, even though others said he was distant and only close to two people. He was very nice, not at all like the rumors. I remembered that closeness, the way he wasn't like everyone said he should be. I remembered how we were like brothers. I gave that memory to him. I pushed the memory of those feelings to him and let him do what he wanted with them. I guess Sora fit the bill for those feelings, whoever he is." He paused. "Who's Sora anyway?"

"Unlike the way he should be and almost a brother to Riku," she said, thinking it out. "He should give Riku a sense of belonging. Riku shouldn't feel like he deserves that, given what he's done, who he's aligned himself with." She pulled her hood off, her eyes narrowed. "Something must be wrong with Sora if Riku's acting like that, or he's in a dangerous situation. Did you add anything else to that cocktail of emotion of yours?"

"Uhh, I miss him. I must have given Riku that too."

She crossed her arms. Torex missed his friend, an idea she didn't like. He should forget his past as she did hers. "If Riku thinks Sora contacted him by heart and is sad, he must think that something happened to make him so upset that it would reach him. I'll go see what Riku thought that was."

Torex raised an eyebrow. "Nothing's going on, you realize that, right? I made this imaginary panic attack happen." He was slightly proud of that fact.

"I know. Go home and I'll be right back. Tell Saix I'll report to him. You shouldn't have to on your first day." She looked up towards the top left window, remembering the time when she and Sora shared the vision about Roxas. It had no relevance with the current situation, but it made her think about the bond between hearts. She knew that it never happened with her back in her own world, but apparently both Riku and Torex knew what that was like. It almost was enough to want her heart back, but that same pleasure opened her up to attacks like the one Torex pulled off. That wasn't something she wanted to have to think about. Just as she opened a portal, Saix came out of the one Torex made.

"Jexa," he barked. "Come back now. You cannot go to investigate today."

She gave the Luna Diviner a pained look. "Fine," she sighed, regaining her calm quickly. "I'm coming." Zexion and whatever was wrong with Sora could wait for another day. The mansion wasn't going anywhere.

**(/)**

The things inside the mansion weren't going anywhere either. DiZ sat in his study reading up on some of his works on the way hearts remembered. This time of day he usually studied various topics in order to understand Sora's predicament more and find ways to speed the recovery process up. He wished he hadn't found this more productive than sitting in front of the computer downstairs. Namine's progress was very slow at the moment. When Riku came in, he was shocked to see the man sitting there reading a book without a care for what he believed was going on. DiZ sipped his coffee, not acknowledging Riku's entrance. This had to be his seventh or eighth cup of the day. He needed them to stay up, even though he insisted that his four hours of sleep were plenty.

"What's wrong with Sora?" Riku finally asked.

He flipped a few pages in his book, then took out a different one. "If you haven't noticed, his memories have been scattered by that little witch. We're trying to piece him back together. Would you like to join us?"

Riku slammed his hand down on DiZ's book. "Something's wrong! Why are you just sitting here?"

He leaned back in his chair and stared at the boy. "Why would you think I would be oblivious to any happenings with Sora?" He held up a small device. "This is connected to the computer. If anything happens to the boy, no matter how minute, I know. Now, go do what I told you. What caused the disturbance in the forecourt?"

Riku stood frozen. His heart told him that Sora needed him badly and yet DiZ said nothing had happened with his best friend, good or bad. How could he have been so wrong? It made no sense.

"Riku?"

DiZ's voice jolted him out of his trance-like state. He pulled his hand back and stepped back a few paces. "Ah, right. It was an Organization member. I met her in Castle Oblivion. She's almost pure darkness. Her voice, her scent, everything about her screams of it."

DiZ remembered her as well, but he said nothing about it. If he told Riku, then he might ask Namine about it and find out his real name. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but he hadn't been back in Hollow Bastion and look how things turned out. "Keep her away from here," he said. "Do not let her anywhere near this place. I want no Organization member to know of Sora's location or for their influence to leak in."

Riku nodded and ran towards the library, the only entrance to Sora's pod. He needed to see for himself that his friend was okay. Besides, DiZ didn't seem to like that a Nobody had found him. Well, he would have to work at keeping her away, and if he got lucky, by force. He wanted to fight her fair and square, just once, and get even for the way she controlled him back at C.O.

**(/)**

Jexa, on the other hand, couldn't be more eager to stay away from everyone. Saix said that participation in meetings was mandatory, but she wished otherwise. Everyone in the Organization, with the apparent exceptions of Xemnas and Saix, could be classified as either punchy or flat out drunk. Even Torex had joined in on the fun, although he had kept his wits and only became a little punchy. Xion hadn't come back yet, so Jexa didn't know what she would decide. The Organization had this little celebration every year for New Years, she found out, and everyone could have one bottle of saki, but some members downed a few glasses before they came back, those Nobodies being Xaldin, Xigbar, and Luxord, and became raving drunk. Since it was New Years, Xemnas just had to do some New Years' resolutions in front of everyone. Jexa wondered if he did this because he had a glass as well. It made him even creepier than usual. While he raved, most of the members had their weapons out and used them as toys. Xigbar and Luxord played a game similar to darts where Xigbar shot a card Luxord threw in the air, Xaldin repeatedly speared the Organization's symbol on the floor, water sloshed around the base of Demyx's chair from the sloppy way he played his sitar, and Axel tried to catch his chakrams when he summoned them but failed every time. Some people sang, others yelled, but everyone participated in the chaos, except Saix and Jexa, who shared the same disgusted, surrendering expression. They knew that nothing could be done about it, but they wished Xemnas hadn't authorized the alcohol. They looked at the other from across the room and nodded their sympathies in a rare moment where they respected the other.

Jexa summoned her sword and watched dark colors flicker over the blade. _So this is why Zexion wanted me to come over today,_ she thought. _He knew about this. I should have stayed over for a bit, although I would have gotten in trouble for missing the meeting._ She ducked to avoid one of Luxord's cards and the poorly aimed bullet that followed. She glared at the two, but they were too drunk to see or care.

"Watch it!" she yelled, but her voice couldn't be heard above the din. _Worst meeting ever._ Jexa covered her face with her hand, faintly hoping that Torex might come to his senses and make everyone serious again.

"Happiness for everyone!" her apprentice yelled. A warm, fuzzy feeling entered the room, hitting everyone in the face and making the others more insane. Jexa shrunk into her chair and tried to ignore what he had done.

_There goes hope_.

While Jexa kept a low profile in order to be less of a target for the others, they were having the time of their lives. Only on one day of the year was this kind of behavior allowed, unless Xemnas gave everyone a vacation and a party was organized.

Axel finished the last of his saki and threw the bottle at Xigbar. "Ahoy up there matey! How's the view? Does this wonder stretch as far as your eye can see? Maybe you need glasses to tell, old guy."

He clipped the edge of it with his Arrowguns, redirecting it to Demyx. "As if you need me to tell you since you can answer you own questions. You know what I do see? A flippin' spray-painted porcupine ON YOUR _HEAD_! Get it off, get it off!"

While Axel swatted his hair for a few minutes before realizing the joke, Demyx swatted the bottle away with a surprisingly well-placed swing from his sitar. "Woot! Baseball!" He created three balls of water and sent them flying in random directions, hitting Roxas, himself, and Xemnas. Xemnas didn't notice the direct hit to the face and continued on with his unheard monologue without a hitch. Jexa had been watching and wondered why she thought that he had been sober even for a second. Roxas did notice the water hitting him and literally jolted out of the stupor he had been in.

"Thu-thundara!" he yelled, pointing his Keyblade straight up. Every in the room received a dose of electricity, causing a furious uproar and the poor kid to be hit with several rounds of magic. Xemnas drawled on, his promises becoming more and more pathetic and idiotic by the second. Saix shut his eyes to the madness. This was the Organization he so faithfully worked for?

By this point Jexa couldn't stand it any longer. Even when she was a Somebody she didn't like drunks, and now the Organization placed her in a room full of them. Almost all the Nobodies acted like Somebodies, and if that wasn't enough, they acted like children, hitting each other with their powers. Instead of whining about it, she left. Before she reached Naught's Skyway, Saix came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I would follow you if my position allowed it," he said, surprising her. "I can't stand when they're like this. However, I wouldn't be going to bed. Rather, I would leave the castle entirely." He threw a quick glance over his shoulder. "They're coming. I'd like it if you stayed in this world. The city has plenty of places to stay. Come back tomorrow at midday for your mission."

She nodded her thanks and exited the castle. Saix stared past the spot Jexa left from, smiled dreamily, and started walking up to the top of the castle to see Kingdom Hearts. Earlier, Axel spiked Saix's drink with the saki before he became drunk himself. The Luna Diviner had been so busy with his work that he didn't notice the burn of the sake going down his throat until too late, just a few mouthfuls. Although the sake the Organization gave to their members wasn't a large amount and diluted on top of that, alcohol affected Nobodies more than normal people, just like most drugs did. Saix still hadn't figured out how much to give to the others without this kind of result. Now he joined them in their dangerous games and jokes with uncharacteristic feigned happiness. In the morning no one would be very happy, but for tonight, no one cared.

If people lived in the city, the yells and crashes the Organization made could be heard near the castle. Jexa walked until the noise faded into the night, then set out to find somewhere to sleep. None of the buildings had doors, perfect for a Nobody in hiding since a Corridor had to be used to get in, but she saw no reason not to walk around until she found a place with an entrance. Nothing here felt unfriendly, but the normalcy of walking into a building by door seemed like a nice thing to have for one night. Eventually she reached Memory's Skyscraper, the single most lighted building in that world, and found a door on it. Inside it portrayed a lost glory, one it probably never had, one of people coming in and out, children playing in the lobby Jexa now stood in, tourists coming for vacations to the gloomy world. The placed looked like the staff had left for the holiday and made the place stay in pristine condition with a spell. It was an amusing idea. The couches and even the carpets offered a good night's rest, but if this was a hotel, then better places could be found upstairs. No lights worked inside and neither did the elevator failed to respond as well, so Jexa took the stairs up. Each floor above the fifth held bedrooms, and she bet that each was nice, but she wanted the top floor, the one with a view. By the time she reached it her legs were ready to fall off, and the only thing that kept her on her feet was the scene that encompassed Kingdom Hearts, The Castle That Never Was, and the city below. A king-sized bed sat against the wall in the expansive place, easily three times the size of her room back at the castle, one whole wall was a window devoted to the view, and an overall, familiar grandeur of her former home world. She smiled and, out of habit from her Somebody days, checked the cabinets for food. She caught herself on the fourth one and went to bed, laughing at herself for it.

Sleep came quickly, sending her to a platform in the middle of nowhere. She half expected the blackness of the floor to swallow her up like a Corridor of Darkness. After a few good stomps she decided it would hold her, so she sat down and waited for whatever brought her there. It didn't have the same, slightly oppressive feel as the Dark did, rather an endless, airy one that seemed neither dark nor light. She leaned back and rested on her hands, her head tilted back, to enjoy the balance.

_If I could have my way,_ she thought. _Every world would be like this. The light here's not trying to snuff out every last scrap of darkness and the darkness isn't trying to destroy the light. Things are always peaceful, I bet._

A slight breeze filtered through the space, warm and cool at the same time. _Not all the time. Sometimes the light grows more powerful, at others darkness, but balance is always restored. That is the way things are here_.

Jexa straightened at the mental communication to greet herself, but no one came near. "I am suppose to do something for you to show yourself?" The person, if it was one, didn't sound like a threat, so she stayed relaxed. The thing didn't even sound. Instead, words came into her head and she read them as they faded in and out.

The tone of the voice warmed the room. _You and the rest of the inhabitants of the worlds, but that is a story for another time, that and a topic few know about. For now, the focus is on you. Do you realize where you are?_

"No."

_Normally, this is a place for Keyblade wielders, a Dive to the Heart, but for you, it is a Dive to the Soul. The Keyblade was never destined to fall into your hands, but you play a role just as important. You see, you have a choice to make, one that is a key to your power. That is why you were brought here, to unlock that power._

Two balls of darkness appeared over pedestals, both rising from the ground like Shadows. Jexa began to have second thoughts about the stability of the platform, but she walked up to the two anyway. Better that than stay and sink if the place collapsed. She found no difference between the two, for both shone with a powerful aura and gleamed with the darkness that made them up. The voiceless voice projected a feeling that was the equivalent of a sigh.

_You are not ready for this, it would appear. Once you can tell the difference between the two, you may choose, but not before. Do not fail. Good luck, Jexa._

The faint ring of light that separated the platform from the emptiness beyond faded away as the two dark balls and their stands disappeared in the same fashion as Dusks. Jexa noticed the balance slip away with a small amount of sadness. She let herself be dragged down into a pool of darkness while light played on the fringes of her vision and the quiet sound of laughter came into being.

_I know this place_. When the lasts scraps of darkness cleared, Central Park showed itself, the trees towering over the three children playing a mix of hide-and-go-seek and tag. A little girl with short black hair chased after one of the boys, the one covered in freckles and with striking red hair, while the other boy hid in the bushes, his Hispanic appearance a striking difference from the foliage. The two children chasing after each other screamed with laughter while the one in hiding tried his best to suppress his giggles, although he was having a very hard time. Jexa went to the kid in the bushes and knelt down in front of him, but he stared through her like she wasn't there. She knew the place lived only in her memories and nothing could be different, but it still seemed weird to be ignored by one of her best childhood friends.

"Hey David," she said, affectionately ruffling his hair. He crouched down lower into the branches to hide and she didn't want to reach through or crawl over to sit with him. She waited for the incident she knew would come; her former self, Jae, would latch on to the redhead's ankles, flying through the air to get to him, and they would crash to the ground, then start poking each other to not be it. Sure enough, Jae caught her friend through this risky method, tumbled to the ground, and kept hitting her friend until David came out of the bushes to intervene.

"C'mon lep, be it. You stay it for two secs before ya tag us," he said, dragging the boy away from Jae.

He looked up at David and dusted his pants off. "For the last time," he said in a thick Irish accent, "I'm not a leprechaun."

"Last time," Jae said thoughtfully from halfway up a tree a few feet away. "That means you won't be telling us to say that anymore because that was the last time you would tell us. Awesome!"

Jexa chuckled at the perverse logic, observing the whole scene doggedly. She didn't remember this, so wanted to make sure she preserved it as well as possible. The leprechaun kid, Alexander, groaned and started up the tree Jae took refuge in. She immediately clutched a nearby branch, her eyes growing wide. David stepped forward, his hands out as if to pull Alex down, but he was already too high. Jae clung tighter to her patch of branches when her friend stopped on one of the limbs.

"Seriously, this isn't funny," Jae said, trying to keep her voice from quavering. "You're blocking my way down."

He leaned against the trunk, obviously not intending to move any time soon. "What's the problamo? You're, what, only a yard or two from the next closest branch to this one, which is only a few feet from the ground. You can do it."

David shot Alex a look, bothered by what he was doing. "We've gone through it before lep, she's not coming down until you move. Might as well save yourself from trouble and get out of the way."

"She'll be fine," he insisted. "Jae, get down here. You can do it."

She shook her head, her lips pressed so hard together they had turned white. "I'm good until you move. I can get down that way."

"We're eight. We're not afraid of anything!"

"Alex…"

"Shut it David," Alex said, fixed on Jae. "C'mon, climb down. You climbed up."

"I climbed up with a way down to the ground. I'll climb down when I know I have that again."

Jexa watched with a mix of confusion and amusement. She had been afraid of heights of all things? Maybe not the height of something, as the younger version of her got up just fine and would come down with a route out, but the thought of being unable to reach the ground or falling. She didn't remember which. As to why this certain, old, forgotten memory played out in her mind now, she had no clue and wanted to know. Whether or not the place of balance gave her the prompting to recall it puzzled her, but more so what was being prompted. Out of all the things her heart and mind stored, why this moment shown? While she tried to understand the reasoning behind this event, she noticed that Jae muttered one phrase over and over. Alex threw up his hands and jumped out of the tree. David waited for him on the grass, his arms crossed.

"You happy?" he said scornfully. "She won't come out of that tree now, you know. _Nice_."

He threw one look back over his shoulder at Jae, still clinging to the branch and muttering, before facing his friend. "Aey mate, I had no idea that'd happen. Thought she was done with it."

David sighed. "We'll wait here and in a half an hour she'll come down." The two sat down on the other side of the grass clearing, not a very large area. Being eight year old boys, they ran after an ice cream truck after a constant five minutes of fidgeting.

Jexa rolled her eyes. _Some friends. No wonder I never connected with anyone._ She walked over to Jae in order to find out what she was saying, but before she could, the darkness swallowed her again. This time, she stayed in place with no further disruptions, save for one line spoken by the voiceless voice when she reached the blackness:

_Where every story has a beginning, yours has not yet begun…_


	20. Vacations Are Confusing

Nothing and Shadow Cirix sat on opposite sides of the Dark, watching the other so diligently one couldn't lift a finger without it going noticed.

"To have a conversation," Nothing said. "Both sides need to participate."

Cirix yawned and rested his head on his hands. "That's nice. Can I go to sleep now? I'm tired."

Nothing sighed. How did Jexa, such a well-mannered Nobody, end up with that infuriating brat in her subconscious? The thing could give him everything he ever wanted and he still wouldn't like Cirix.

"Hello? Two-way conversation not happening here. Shutting down in ten, nine, eight-"

"Have you no patience?" he spat. "I am trying to clear my mind."

"Shouldn't be too hard, considering it's empty. Yay, you're done, so say whatever it is so I can _sleep_."

"Ugh." He pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "Why must you turn simple things difficult?"

Cirix grinned, his small line of a mouth stretching halfway across his head. "That's my job, so says me. I'm here to make your life miserable."

"That is an exceptionally childish goal. I hardly deserve such attention."

Cirix snorted. "Yeah right. For someone who can't lie, you sure do a lot of playing pretend and evading the truth."

Nothing's eye started twitching as he thought of all the ways to kill the stupid creature so he wouldn't do anything to it, for now at least. "You are not leaving yet, you are not to fall asleep, and you are not to make such ludicrous accusations. I do not lie, I cannot lie, and I refuse to consider lying, as you so eloquently suggested."

"'Suggested' isn't really what it was, more like, 'you there, your liar, yes you, you haven't told the truth about a single thing you said you would.' That was the message I tried to get across, but I don't mind spelling it out for you. It's not your fault you don't have a brain."

He tipped his hat so it covered his eyes and started playing with his cane. "Do not forget why you are here. You would not come when summoned unless I could say something you found intriguing. Tell me, companion of my friend, why did you heed my call?"

Cirix flopped over on his back, his arms splayed out. "The 'not yet begun,' thing the twilight said, you know what in means? 'Cause I have no idea."

"It means," Nothing said with the smallest of smiles, "Things are about to become interesting."

His antennae perked up in response to his new found alertness. "Interesting how, because your interesting is not my interesting. Now you're smiling. Why are you smiling? It's never good when you're smiling!"

"Your puzzlement amuses me." He tossed his cane up, stood, angled his hat differently, and caught the cane without looking. Cirix bolted up at the sight of Nothing leaving.

"Hey wait, you can't leave me without a real answer! I told you I would come only for an answer!"

"You never requested a real one. Besides, I am sure you will continue to be as much as a nuisance as before."

"I need that answer!"

Nothing stopped, smirking and one eye gleaming from the shadows. "Is it that you need it or otherwise? When all rests on a single, obvious answer you fail to find, you cannot be doing too well. I wonder where else you have made disastrous errors." He left Cirix like he did every night, alone in the recesses of the Dark. The darkness shook off his Shadow form and took on his other one. He loathed every part of Nothing, but he couldn't help wondering how much the guy told the truth. How many loose ends had he left? Hope was the only thing to do until morning. He had done all in his power for the night and in the past few days.

_You've gotta promise me Jexa,_ he thought, willing the words away. _You gotta promise me that you're not gonna leave me here. You gotta promise that we'll make it through this. You gotta promise, 'kay? Promise._ For the millionth time, no one answered him and he succumbed to sleep alone.

(/)

Jexa woke to a raging headache and a different room, her old one from New York to be precise. At first she grabbed her sword and readied for a fight with whomever brought her to the new place, despite her headache, but the familiar landscape of the World That Never Was made her flop back down and regret reacting so. Now she felt worse. The childish room deepened her nausea. A small mobile hung over her head, transparent spheres and fish circling each other endlessly. Favorite phrases of days past decorated the walls, almost every one providing Jexa another reason to loathe her human days. A calendar with days marked off was tacked in the wall next to the bed, counting how long until the second to last day in September. One shredded piece of notepaper was taped to the back of the September page, reading:

_If you can see this, then you better not have gotten cold feet. You planned it perfectly. You should have gone and you know it. Did you?_

Jexa groaned and flipped over. She had no idea what the thing was talking about and didn't want to figure it out, lest it made her headache worse. She stayed in place until it disappeared then left for the castle.

For a change, Saix wasn't standing at the head of the Gray Area; instead, a notice had been posted on the glass informing the Organization of a one-day vacation. Apparently Xemnas hadn't recovered from last night's events. Jexa jumped into a chair, uncertain about what to do with a free day. Ever since the Heartless came to her world, there hadn't been time for a whole free day, and the Organization used the same busy timetable. What to do with a whole day off escaped her.

Roxas entered, groggy and disheveled, and read the notice. He rubbed his eyes and read it again, only then realizing Jexa was in the room too.

"What do we do on a free day?" he asked rather sleepily.

Jexa tugged on the shadows under the table. "I'm just as lost as you. I thought we had work today."

"We have it every day."

She paused. "There has to be something to do."

"I dunno what." He sat down opposite to her. "What're you gonna do?"

"Umm, don't know really. I might find somewhere to go to and stay there for a bit, tease the natives, no, I got it. I'm going to Twilight Town."

"Twilight Town?"

"Yeah. There's an old friend there I want to visit. I saw him yesterday, but we really didn't get the chance to talk. I-" Torex came in, blinking at the lights, his irritation spreading around the room. Roxas and Jexa turned to look at him, startled by the projected emotion.

Jexa rolled her eyes. "For crying out loud, get control of your powers, Torex. It's hard enough keeping our own fake emotions under control."

He sat down in the last chair near Jexa and Roxas, making no effort to limit his influence, and propped his head up with a finger. "So, what do we do on free days?"

Roxas opened a Corridor and stiffly left. So Jexa still had that snappy element to her that caused her to go off on Xion. He didn't know if he could stand her while she stayed like that. Jexa knew that this was why he left, but she made no effort to fix it, even though Roxas still hated her wasn't her favorite thing to think about. He was a nice kid.

Torex didn't understand the connection, naturally. "Something I said?"

Jexa snapped her gaze from the place where Roxas left, just noticing she had been staring. "No. Past issues best left forgotten. I think he's the only one who still cares."

"Not you?"

"Not your business."

He chuckled. "Whatever mentor. What do we do now?"

"It's a free day. You do what you want."

"Yeah, but what do you do on free days?"

She groaned. "Earth to you, do what you want."

"Show me somewhere different." When Jexa looked at him oddly, he added, "I haven't seen very many of the worlds you've talked about, just this one and Twilight Town. Show me somewhere else."

"How about Traverse Town? It's not much, but there's enough there for you to be happy. I can show you the Heartless too."

"Sounds great. I'd love to meet the little bastards that did this to me."

She ignored his attempt at humor and opened a Corridor to Traverse Town. They were met by the dim lights of the first district with only a few people milling about, an oddity for noon in the main square. Jexa followed Torex through a twisting route around the square until he came to an abrupt stop, at which point she nearly rammed into him.

"What is it?" she asked, pushing her way past.

"If I knew I'd be much happier," he said in awe. In an anti-climatic way, Jexa noticed his winged fascination.

"That would be a moogle. They make things," she said, pleased that she could recall at least trivial facts clearly.

Torex continued watching the creature float with fascination. "It's cute. And it has a pom-pom on its head!"

"It's a moogle. What did you expect?"

"Don't you just want to hug it?"

She glared at him. "You know what you remind me of? A mix of Demyx and Xigbar, spazzy and annoying because of bad jokes. Let's go, you special Nobody. There's more to Traverse Town than those mutated bats." She dragged him off into the second district where Heartless promptly showed up, two Wyverns, a Darkball, and a few Shadows and Soldiers. Jexa clapped her hands together and looked back at her charge.

"Perfect timing, wouldn't you say? These are some examples of the Heartless you'll meet in the field. Those-" she pointed to the Wyverns and the Soldiers. "-Are called emblem Heartless because they hold hearts, and the other ones are Purebloods because they are made purely of darkness. If you go on a mission with Roxas or Xion, only take out the Purebloods because the Keyblade can free the hearts the emblem Heartless have stolen and I've already explained to you why the Organization needs those. However, we don't have a wielder with us today, so you go right ahead and take them all out."

"By myself? With what?"

She smirked. "With your weapons. I thought you wanted to get at the bastards who stole your heart."

He eyed the Heartless nervously, careful not to let any fake emotions through. "Yeah, but I don't have anything on me right now."

One of the Wyverns leapt at the duo, claws outstretched, narrowly blocked by Jexa's blade. She slipped the blade out from under it and severed its head with one smooth motion, a trick she learned back in her home world. She stepped back and motioned Torex to deal with the others.

"All you have to do is get into your stance and want your weapon. It's not hard. React on instinct."

Another Heartless lunged, giving Torex little time to jump back. He held both of his hands near his head, his fingers looking like they held the throwing stars he was so used to dealing with, and then threw his arms down to his sides. Two silver throwing stars materialized in his fingers, shaped like a symmetrical version of the top of the Organization XIII symbol with a hole in the center. He looked down at them, disappointed.

"Just two?"

"You'll keep getting more," Jexa reassured him. "You probably have a limit as to how many you can have out at one time before all the ones you've stuck in an opponent disappear."

"Great," he muttered. He started rapidly tossing them into the nearest Heartless, staying a decent distance away and dodging expertly. After he used twelve, the ones lodged in the Heartless disappeared and two more materialized in his hands. He adjusted his grip and ran towards the last two Heartless, both Shadows, slicing long gashes into their sides. He ran back, flinging stars at them with deadly accuracy. Jexa waited for him at the other end of the district, holding the door to the Gizmo Shop open and waiting impatiently. The day was going to be long dealing with this kid. She almost wished that she wasn't blank so she could really snap at him.

"Done showing off?" she called over to him.

He stared at the two groups of Heartless between him and Jexa. "How did you get over there so fast? How are you not hurt?"

She chuckled at his confusion. "Corridors. Highly useful. Plus, I'm not as good of a fighter as you and I'm not going to waste my time on those."

"So I'm already better than my master," he said smugly.

She snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. Watch this." With a flick of her wrist the Heartless vanished in black smoke, but the effort of it forced her to sit down.

"Fast but not very good for battle," Torex observed.

She rolled her eyes. "In a month I won't have to worry about that. You'll fight them for me."

"No way. You can't make me."

She grinned. "Sure I can. I'd show you now, but I don't want to fall asleep on you. Now hurry up and get over here."

He'd been making his way over but in his own leisurely time, taking in the sights and not feeling like rushing over. He liked Twilight Town better, he decided, with the warm glow and the lack of Heartless, but he wished that a few moogles would move there. That would make the world perfect. Traverse Town, with its dark sky and gloomy atmosphere, didn't appeal to him. Jexa seemed at ease, but he could never really tell what she was thinking. Torex hauled her up when he reached the Gizmo Shop and followed her through to a ladder on the other side, otherwise a dead end.

"Is there somewhere you're taking me or are you leading me around in circles?" Torex asked.

"Leading you in circles. I have no idea where we're going," she admitted, unfazed by his pained expression. She shrugged. "Hey, you wanted to see a world."

"I did, and I wanted to see things like moogles, but you've got no idea where you're going. Do you even know what's up there?"

"No."

He looked up at the top and sighed. "Alright, let's go."

They climbed up the ladder to find a horde of small, floating Heartless, those like Red Nocturnes and Yellow Operas. Their weapons appeared at their sides, a smirk on each of their faces.

"You ready for another go?" Jexa said.

"Only if you don't chicken out this time."

"Hmph. You're just as much of a whiner as Riku."

"The one who kills more Heartless wins."

"You're on. Minions, attack!" Three Dusks showed at her call, fighting the Heartless as soon as they materialized. Jexa launched into battle as well, chopping down Heartless when one flew close enough to the ground. It took Torex a minute to realize what was going on.

"Hey, you cheated!"

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"Not. They're no my side."

"Are not!"

"Fine, then they're winning, I'm in second, and you're last." She chopped down the Dusks without a pause. "Now I'm in first. Happy?"

He stared at her in shock. "No, you just killed them. How could you do that?"

Jexa stabbed a Blue Rhapsody, glaring. "Are you going to fight or just stand there?"

He threw his stars in the remaining Heartless, choosing not to use any type of accelerated fighting. Half of the stars missed their mark and fell at Jexa's feet. She jumped back in case any more fell, nearly stepping on one.

"Watch it," she growled.

"Sorry," he said, watching the Heartless spit out magic. "I thought we weren't supposed to pay any attention to the help."

She rolled her eyes and banished the Heartless, becoming a little unsteady on her feet in the process. She put a hand on the pillar next to her and made sure not to look down. "For crying out loud, they were just Dusks."

Torex stood next to her near the edge of the roof. "Like we're just Nobodies? I know you haven't told me much, but I know us and them, we're made the same way. Our hearts were stronger, that's all. I don't see why you killed them. They helped you and then you killed them."

"It's accepted, like killing Heartless. They're the foot soldiers and we're the elites. They get killed often and we don't."

"The Heartless will kill you if they get the chance. The Dusks do what you want when you say it. They aren't the same things. Why don't you compare us to, what are some powerful Heartless?"

"Neoshadows, Darksides, Xehanort's Heartless, and others, but they can't compare with us."

Torex nodded. "Like Shadows and those red things can't compare with Dusks."

Jexa pressed two fingers to her temple, exasperated. "You're defending _Dusks_. You know that they would attack you if any member in this Organization told them to, since you're the lowest ranking member, right?"

He smiled ruefully. "Ah, the price of loyalty. Isn't that what any of you would do, kill another, if Xemnas ordered it?"

Her brow furrowed. "Yeah, but-"

"As far as I'm concerned, they're like us, just not as lucky. Don't kill them when I'm around, preferably not at all, please."

His argument made sense, and at least he didn't want her to apologize for what she did. "Yeah, sure. No problem."

"Thanks."

Jexa glanced at the teen, wondering what kind of Nobody would defend Dusks of all creatures. Some might protect their own Nobodies so their supply wouldn't become depleted, but never Dusks, the weakest of the weak. Torex stood relaxed, his hands in his pockets, a slight breeze ruffling his already messy hair, a contented smile on his face. Something about him reminded her of the assassin she had so much trouble with, Melanor, and he gave it off like he radiated emotions sometimes. She passed it as a memory of the man as Torex lamented for his old life.

_I wonder why I never thought about my old home much. He wants it badly, but I didn't. I still don't, even with how he reminds me of it. Sure, the Heartless made it miserable sometimes, but it was my home world. Why don't I want it?_ The answer dawned on her as suddenly as the question did as a lost memory surfaced. _Because I never wanted it. I nearly had a connection with David, but his heart was stolen the day before my family's hearts. That made me want to leave the world. Joining the Organization was a chance to do something different, an escape route, even if I didn't realize it consciously. I stayed with the kids because I knew that was right and they needed me, but deep down I always wanted to leave and try things out on my own. I didn't want my life to end there_.

They stayed in the silence for several minutes, alone with their thoughts, until Torex tired of the quiet.

"Jexa?"

"Yeah?"

"Two things. Thank you for taking me here-"

"You're welcome."

"-And why exactly did you kill the Dusks?"

She groaned. "Not this again."

"No, I'm past that you killed them, but I want to know why you did it. You could've just sent them away."

She shrugged. "It was sort of like, 'if I kill the top person then I'm top,' tied into the whole _joking_ competition, emphasis on joking."

"Where did you get that idea?"

"That we were joking around? Heartless aren't that hard to kill."

"No, that you could kill the Dusks and become top player instead of letting them leave and getting the same thing. It doesn't seem like you."

"Am I really that easy to read? You and him both think that you know me. You've known me for two days," she said, scowling.

He laughed. Whoever 'he' was she obviously wouldn't be telling him, since she didn't mention it in the first place. "I can't tell what you're thinking or feeling, give me a break. You're completely blank, not like the others. They give a little something out at least, not near what people with hearts do. People with hearts nearly smother me now with all their emotions. Anyway, you let me basically take a free day my first day, you're concerned about that friend of yours, and you've taken out your vaca day to show me a world. You're care, how much I don't know, but killing Dusks for no reason doesn't seem to be your style."

Jexa chuckled. "You two would get along so well. Both of you try to find the deeper meaning in things when it's not there."

"You don't think I'm right or that there're reasons to things?"

She brushed the hair behind her ear, almost ticked that it fell back in place. She tried to find the exact words, but when she reminded herself of how Saix-like that was, she quit. "I think that there is a deeper meaning to many things, but you can over think things easily, and that you've got some good points, but they were _Dusks_, okay?"

"You don't regret it, not even a little?"

"Hardly."

"That's disappointing."

She shook her head. "I can't feel, so I'm not going to really regret something, but now I wish, just a bit, that I hadn't done it because there wasn't a reason to and you've scaled it up like this. It's done, over, so it's pointless to go in circles like this."

"Okay, but-"

"You can get back to the castle yourself, right?" Jexa asked.

"Yeah…"

She opened a portal. "Great. I'm not going to waste my vacation on you. I have place to go, people to yell at, those kinds of things. There is one more district you can explore, so go have fun. Bye Torex."

Once she left, he slid down the ladder and jumped to the pavement below. Melanor and Niran taught him how to read people, although he hadn't perfected it yet. If they were here and really wanted to apply themselves, they could figure out most anything out in a person, especially Niran since she specialized in recon. He didn't have their experience or know how they did it exactly, but Niran taught him a few ways to tell basic things in people. He would have been a pretty poor recon assassin if he failed to read people. Several things about Jexa prevented him from reading her, but he knew that she cared for others, no matter what she said. It was that she killed the Dusks without a care for who they once were that bothered him more than the fact they died without purpose. For now, he would worry about the mass of Heartless that had appeared in front of him in the third district rather than his mentor's problems. The wolf-like shield with snapping jaws on the rather big, bluish-purple Heartless looked like it had more in mind than simple defense, and the jittery monkeys didn't strike him as the type that wanted bananas.

"Again?" he said, sick of the games. "Let's see what these powers can do to you guys." He projected a sense of happiness into the area, thinking it would turn the Heartless friendly, but instead they rushed him all at once. His eyes widened in disbelief of how much the plan backfired as he jumped back, pinning one of the monkeys to the ground and working on a second in the process.

_ Note to self, do not give Heartless a happy hour because their happy hour is the one where they kill you._

The shield of the big blue Heartless snapped at him. He took the chance and threw a star in its mouth, but it smashed the star to pieces. He scowled and raced up the ramp to gain the high ground. Unannounced to him, three Shadows appeared behind him, attracted by the emotion that surfaced a minute ago. While Torex amused himself by playing darts with the Heartless below, the Purebloods snuck up behind him. They pounced on him and latched onto his legs. He cried out in surprise and ran down the ramp to get away, the Heartless still scratching and clinging to his legs. The shield-bearing Heartless blocked his way down, causing him to fall back before slamming into it. The eyes on the shield began glowing red.

"Aww crap." He barely had enough time to dodge the stream of fire the shield fired at him, stumbling because of the biting, clawing Heartless. "That's it," he said, fuming. "Ride's over. Off!" He stabbed the Shadows, managing to hit himself once or twice, until they vanished into black smoke. Just as he stood up, one of the monkeys knocked his feet out from under him. His head hit the pavement. Lights danced in front of his eyes and he had trouble maintaining focus. He groaned and threw a volley of stars into the nearest Heartless, leaving four left. After staring at them for a second he backed up.

"I'm sick of this." He launched all twelve of the stars in succession, each imbedding in the head of a Heartless and killing them almost instantly. One staggered up to him with stars in only half its head. Torex grimaced and put the thing out of its misery.

"That was sick," he muttered. "Sick in both meanings of the word." A man in red and black robes with a three bladed scythe Melanor reluctantly introduced to him came to mind at the thought. The guy had a cold and, like most sick people, did not enjoy the experience. Somehow, when they shook hands, one of the blades sliced him and drew blood, but Melanor didn't notice. When Melanor left the room on Zero's orders, the guy slit his arm and drew a strange symbol on the ground. By this point, Torex already was creeped out and had annoyed the person more than once on accident, but when he found he couldn't move, that's when he began to panic. He would never forget the guy's insane smile and the way he enjoyed the pain they shared. Eclypse came a half a minute later in response to Hidan's maniacal laughing. She called Melanor back on the comlink, then shoved Hidan out of the rune before he finished the job he started. That had been the moment when he fully trusted Eclypse, since before she had been a bit ruthless during training. Still, that same relentlessness during training made him the best in his class and kept Hidan from killing him. Afterwards, Niran and Eclypse wrapped him up and treated his various internal and external wounds while Melanor forced Hidan to endure Disney songs and vegetables, two of the very few things that would make Hidan upset. The memory of the twisted man made him shudder.

He cupped a handful of the crystal water from the fountain and let it filter through his fingers, the water making his glove wet, but he didn't much care. He missed his friends, his mentors, and he didn't know whom he missed most; Eclypse, an adversary and a friend with something upbeat to say for every occasion, Niran, a teacher and a person not afraid to say the truth when needed, or Melanor, like an older brother and always there to rely on. They held very special places in his heart, that heart now gone and the hole giving him aches in his chest. Sometimes he thought he felt an emotion, but then he realized that it was his new powers acting up, not the heart he so missed. Without a heart, he wondered if he would eventually forget the way his friends made him laugh and the special times they shared. He shook his head violently in response to the traitorous idea, striking the water and distorting his reflection.

"I'm not gonna forget you guys," he promised, his hands clutched at his sides. "I'll find a way back one day. I'll come back the first chance I get." He stared at the water until he saw his expression reflected back, then walked away. He didn't feel the sorrow that the image portrayed. He left for Twilight Town, where maybe he could find some sort of peace.

(/)

Peace did not occur to Jexa when Zexion walked in the room. Murder might have been closer, but if she killed him, then all her hard work would have gone to waste, so she refrained from such impulsive actions. Besides, she needed an answer as to why he left the place without telling her first, and then she could maim him a bit. He wouldn't believe that she had been worried for his wellbeing if she hurt him, but things had their price.

Zexion came in a little after she did, surprised by her glowering expression and that she was there at all.

"Hello Jexa," he said, placing his Lexicon down on the desk. "I thought you wouldn't be coming here anymore."

"When did I say that?" she said, repeating, _I will not kill him, I will not kill him,_ over and over in her mind.

He noticed the falsely sweet tone in her voice and how her eyes never left him. The actions reminded him of the way Axel behaved moments before he set the Replica on him, setting him on edge.

"True, but I must say, I think that I can manage myself now."

"So your side has healed?"

"Not exactly, but I assure you, it is-"

"Then why did you leave the house?"

He froze at the accusation. Jexa sat in the same position, the same calm look on her face. He never intended to tell her that he left the house, and he thought that she'd find out eventually, but not so soon.

"Where did you go?" she said, dropping the act. "Where did you go yesterday? I came to see where a portal Torex opened, the kid I dragged in, led. Turned out it was here, but no lights were on and you weren't here. Care to explain?"

"Not particularly, but I doubt you will leave without that answer. Am I correct?"

She nodded, her jaw set. "Bet your life on it."

He pulled a chair out from the other room. "Well, I had planned on being back at the castle by now, but I had a little reconnaissance to do, as well as some personal curiosities to satisfy. I found this world in a horrendous state, much different from the shining one I left many years ago. Then I met Leon. He and his friends are attempting to restore this town to its former glory, so I decided to help them."

Jexa rubbed her temples. She hadn't expected something so trivial. Maybe he needed to get something and couldn't wait, but not personal interests. "Zexion, you're injured and you're a member of the Organization, much as I'd like you to forget that. You can't be helping these people."

"Why not? I will not sit idle while the Organization continues on and this world falters. Either I stay with these people or I return to the Organization. I leave it up to you."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You can be a real pain, you know that?"

"The idea can be mutual."

She groaned and fell back on the bed. "Why don't you listen to me? I'm trying to keep you safe. Your side isn't even healed yet."

"It's getting there," he said tensely.

She waved him over. His tone had her nervous. "Lemme see."

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"Do I have to control you?" She hoped that the threat would work and she didn't have to reveal that the power had mostly abandoned her. Fortunately, he sighed and showed her the wound without any force needed. He refused to look at her when she lifted her head up from inspecting it.

"Zexion, that's worse, not better."

"Sometimes things become worse before they get better," he muttered.

"This isn't a pet project." She put a hand next to the wound and he hissed in pain. She gave him a condescending look and shook her head. Why did he try to lie to her?

"Why did you do that?" he said between gritted teeth.

She took her hand back and searched the room for the pain pills she gave him awhile back, but he had emptied the bottle. Since he hated medication, it showed how much pain the wound had caused him. She needed to get him more and subtly leave it.

"To prove a point," she said. "Zexion, this is a serious injury, one that kills you slowly. You can't be waltzing around acting like you're fine because you're not. You need to take care of this first. Are you even letting it get any sunlight?"

"I haven't found time, and I cannot show it to the others. They would question me if I did."

She smacked him upside the head and went to sit down. "You idiot," she muttered as he stared at her in disbelief. "So you're suicidal."

"I am not," he snapped. "Once the workload dies down somewhat I can continue treatment."

"You'll continue treatment now," she ordered. She wanted to see Nothing and talk to him for a little bit before the day ended, but with Zexion in the stubborn frame of mind he was in, she didn't know if that was a possibility. Whatever Zexion wanted to tell her yesterday needed to wait one more day. Still, she knew that the conversation wouldn't end any time soon.

"And if I say no?"

"If you say yes, then I'll finally begin to answer questions. You haven't started asking them yet, so I figured you'd forgotten. I didn't plan on keeping to it if you didn't remember, but if it keeps you here, I'll do it. One a day."

While Zexion thought about her offer, someone knocked on the door.

"Ienzo, Cid's having a little trouble downloading the plans into the computer, something with the details on Nobodies. You have time to fix that?"

Jexa stared at Zexion. "You told him where you live?"

He nodded and opened the door. "Hello Leon. I'm sorry, but now's not the best time. Perhaps later? I can-"

"What is wrong with your side?" Leon exclaimed. Zexion faltered and tried to cover up the injury, but Leon stopped him from doing so.

Jexa put up her hood and stood next to Zexion. Leon watched her warily. She stuck her hand out and said,

"Hi, I don't believe we've met. I take care of Ienzo, or at least I try to. He's being a little stubborn about this." She poked at it and Zexion flinched back. "I can't be around all the time, so if you would make sure he keeps that in sunlight for a few hours a day, I would be very grateful."

Leon couldn't decide who to give his attention to, the mysterious girl or Ienzo with his gruesome wound. In all his time fighting and traveling between worlds, he'd never seen something like that. The girl, although she said they had never met, reminded him of the girl he saw with the strange, black sword in Traverse Town. That person put him on edge, but this one didn't, so he assumed that they weren't the same. Still, he decided to stay on guard in case his suspicions were confirmed. He looked at Ienzo's wound again. Either it hadn't been cleaned or those black pieces were stuck there. It almost looked like it pulsed, and the energy it gave off was as dark and menacing as some Heartless. However he got that wound and the scars on his chest, it showed a life more strenuous than he imagined for the young boy. Then again, he himself lived that kind of life not too long ago and still did when the occasion called for it. The revelation gave him no reservations about watching him for the girl. He didn't want the kid getting in any more trouble.

"Sure," he told the girl, still looking at Ienzo. "I'll make sure that he keeps it clean."

"Thanks. Keep it in the sunlight; yes that's darkness in there. Nasty hit with a dark creature. Well, I have to be going. People to see and that kind of thing. Bye Leon, Ienzo." She started out, but Zexion grabbed her wrist. She glared at him, but his expression was too grave to ignore.

"I need to talk to you about something," he said. "Alone."

"Why can't Leon be there?"

"You know perfectly well why. There are rules." He turned to his new friend. "I'm sorry, but there are some things that I cannot-"

Jexa pulled Leon in and sat him down in the chair, taking the floor for herself. Just from the look of him she knew that he took no nonsense and wouldn't leave without a good answer. If Zexion wanted these people to trust him, then he had to give them a little information, even if he didn't think so. They didn't have to have every detail about the Organization, just enough to know that there was something else going on.

Zexion walked in a little deflated. He sat down on the bed, wishing that Leon would leave. Why did Jexa feel the need to keep him in the loop? He preferred to work in secret, not sharing details with others. Right now, the two waited for what he had to say. If he dismissed them, then Leon would ask later either in private or in front of everyone, so he preferred to get it over with. He turned to Jexa, since she was the one he wanted to speak with.

"It's the Superior. I worry about his motives."

Jexa snorted. "There's nothing I can do about him. What do you expect me to do, plant ideas in his head? The last time I tried that I nearly got my head bit off."

Leon held a hand up for them to slow down. "What are we talking about here?"

Jexa cut Zexion off before he even opened his mouth. "The details will get you in trouble, but if you know a little bit, it'll keep you safe. So, what we're talking about is a group's leader who's lost more than a few screws and we're concerned that the work we've done for our goal will all go to waste because sometimes he does things and we can't make sense of it one way or another."

"That's not entirely true."

They looked at Zexion, Leon trying to make sense of it all and Jexa wondering what he meant. He moved back into the sunlight, nonchalant. Leon couldn't understand why he was so calm when talking about such an important topic.

"You're partly right, but I wonder if it not that he is being careless, but if he has a different goal in mind. You see, with my absence-"

"Removal," Jexa corrected.

"With my _absence_," he insisted. "I have found time to look at things from a different angle. You see, I believe he has a separate goal in mind, one different than ours."

"What's the problem with that?" Leon asked. "If this guy has a different goal, then why don't you keep working on yours and he can work on his?"

"He set our goal," Jexa explained. Leon's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right here, and not what they were talking about. They knew too much about it not to be intimately involved, and in the complicated worlds they lived in, a group this messed up posed a threat.

"So what's the goal?" Leon said.

"That's what has me confused," Zexion said, his chin on his fist. "What could possibly be gained from hiding his goal, keeping his supporters out of it? More so, what is the goal and why does he want to keep it a secret? What is better than reaching the goal he set?"

"And what would that goal be?" Leon asked. Both Nobodies knew that the information they gave him had put him on edge and that it would travel to his friends. They couldn't risk telling him anything of great detail.

"Let's say that the group's trying to find something lost," Jexa said. "While this is being chased, there's no harm to anyone else. Maybe some good will come do others if it's complete, too, but the power it has might cause some problems if it falls into the wrong hands."

Zexion nodded in agreement. "That's not the full extend of things either. You see, the group has footholds in many worlds. Normally these are used to gain information and such when-"

"'-And such'?" Leon said, rather angry. "You expect me to go along with 'information and such' when you've told me that these's a man out there who's insane enough to mislead a group, take control of what you're describing as a major power, and do something so drastic that he can't tell his own followers what it is?"

"Hey, don't stereotype us like that," Jexa said. "We're not a cult, we're an organization."

Leon stared at her. "You're one of them?"

Jexa clapped slowly. "Congrats, you've finally got it. How else do you think Zexion gained all the information? Is it the coat that gave me away? We all wear them."

"Too much," Zexion warned. "Don't get him in trouble."

"Last stuff," she promised. "Okay, so the basics to keep you safe and out of trouble. We're a stealth organization, so you won't be seeing many others and that's why I can't give you too much info. We basically have one goal other than the Superior's mysterious one, and we are all individuals. I don't think that you got that when we were talking earlier. Each of us, even in the condition we're in, has a distinct personality. One of us is completely serious while another never acts older than five. We're a group of people, not faces in a crowd." She stood and headed for the door to gain some distance from the place before using a Corridor. She understood that Leon shouldn't see that.

"What's your name?" he asked her when she was at the door.

"Can't tell you that," she said. "Sorry to hit and run guys, but I've gotta get back. It's a vacation day, and I've other things to do before my free day ends."

"Will you tell me what you guys are trying to get?" he asked.

Jexa stayed at the open door, one foot out and one in. She looked at Zexion, who sighed and fell back on the bed, which she took as, 'go ahead and tell him.' She lowered her head, her face half in light and half in shadow. Leon saw the scar on one side of her face and a lock of black hair.

"We are missing our hearts." With that cheery note, she slammed the door shut and left a stunned Leon and a resigned Zexion together.


	21. Making Friends

**Hey, sorry for the long wait. For anyone who's staring at the story after the editing going, 'what the crap?', I lengthened the chapters because the shortness bugged me. Eclypse, I know you're not happy with that, but that's what happened. I also fixed a part that made no sense chronologically, so now I'm happy with the layout.**

**Because I'm lazy, I didn't put all my thanks to the reviewer back in when I edited, so I'm giving one now. THANK YOU MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS! I hope all of you persons like the newest chapter and have enjoyed the story so far!**

* * *

Torex followed Roxas through Twilight Town, passing through the Sandlot after watching the young Nobody play the game with the bat and the stick, Grandstander apparently. Torex had met up with Roxas in one of the back alleys and decided to stick with the kid for the time being. He concerned himself with personal matters more than the Organization, unlike Jexa, and acted more like a person than she did, making him easier to read. They enjoyed each other's company and laughed about how ridiculous a day off was since they had no idea what to do with it. Underneath the friendliness and the good nature, Torex sensed that something was wrong with Roxas. He seemed tense, on edge, as if there was an idea he couldn't get off his mind. When the kid finished talking to the three locals, Torex joined with him again and walked into the Tram Common. He let the sunlight warm his face for a minute while he picked the right route to start a conversation with Roxas.

"Does everyone in the Organization have friends like this?"

"We're friends?" Roxas asked quizzically.

Torex chuckled. "Seeing that we've spent a whole day without getting on each others' nerves, I think so."

He smiled. "Yeah."

"So do the others have friends?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I spent time with Axel and Xion, but the others, I can't see them hanging out. I mean, can you see Demyx and Saix sitting together without killing each other?"

"No way," he laughed. "It's just you, Xion, and Axel then?"

"Yep, but Xion's starting to act kinda funny. Some days she doesn't show up at the clock tower," he said sadly.

He ruffled the kid's hair and smiled, amazed that his hair stayed standing, but he didn't forget his main objective. "She probably has something on her mind. Give her some time. She'll tell you." The pep talk reminded him of a time when Niran told him that things wouldn't be easy but she knew that he had it in him to make it through. It gave him a calm, confident feeling while wariness stayed a few feet away. He pushed it onto Roxas and watched his shoulders drop a few inches.

"You know what I'd like to do?" the blonde asked, starting into the plaza.

"Not in the least."

"I'd like to go get ice cream."

"Then go. No one's stopping you."

"Yeah, but I'd rather go alone. It's a personal thing."

"Sure. It's your life, do what you want." Torex walked toward the woods, his hands in his pockets. On occasion he wondered why some people had to be so complex rather than just living out their lives. In his opinion, people needed to take things one step at a time. How complex that step was didn't matter as long as you took it.

Roxas waited until Torex entered the woods to go get his ice cream, his parting words still ringing in his ears. Well, right now he wanted nothing more than to sit up on the clock tower with his ice cream. Here and now, to hell with the Organization and its goals. When he reached the place, Xion was sitting there waiting for him with her own ice cream. He joined her, content to eat his ice cream and watch the sun set, his worries gone for the moment.

Jexa lay on her back in her room, her hands tucked behind her head. Over and over she reviewed Zexion's words until they became jumbled up in her head. How could Xemnas have an alternative goal? Eventually she passed it off as over thinking on Zexion's part, but the idea stayed in her mind. She rolled over. Demyx played in the next room, strumming a slow, flowing tune, and for once she didn't mind. The soft music lulled her to sleep.

Cirix was playing with a small dark ball when she entered, rolling it between his paws in his Possessor-like form.

"I thought you ditched that," Jexa said.

"No, just on hold. Got tired other one."

"I was just getting used to it."

He whacked the ball in her direction. When she tried to catch it, it flew right through her hand.

"Hard catching shadow," he said, another ball at the ready. "Use powers. Helps."

This time, the ball passed through her hand again but slower. She shook it; the sensation of the darkness passing through her hand wasn't a pleasant one.

"Try taking glove off. It absorb darkness."

"Can we do this later?"

"No." He swatted another one her way, hitting her square in the face. She fell back from the force and rubbed her cheek, glaring at her darkness.

"Fine, the glove-thing makes a difference. Can I go now? I wanted to see Nothing. He didn't seem too happy when I left him last time."

"Got over it," Cirix growled. He liked Nothing better unhappy than happy. That way the man had to suffer a little.

"I'm glad. Where's he now?"

"Working. Own issues need solving."

"What type of-?" Another ball came at her, flying by her by millimeters. She flinched out of the way. "Will you stop doing that?" she yelled.

"Move! Practices agility and power. Let's go!"

She ducked from one and hit another back at Cirix. "I'm agile enough, but I'm not powerful! Quit!"

"That's why practice! Doing good."

The steady stream of darkness became a barrage. She barely had enough time to retaliate and dodge them, and even so, many hit her dead on. Now they hit her and didn't pass through since she had fully tapped into her power.

"What's the point of this?" she yelled after one the size of a soccer ball nearly dislocated her shoulder. "Why should I keep the darkness from going through me? It leaves me vulnerable."

Cirix launched a volley at her, none of them the same shape or size. "Makes dark attacks less powerful, gives you advantage some fights. Helps."

The corner of a square stabbed her in the leg, making her hiss in pain. "This is not helping! This helps!" She stopped trying to block the darkness and let it travel through her instead. The feeling threatened to bring her dinner back up, but she overcame it to pounce on Cirix and pin him to the ground.

"What is your problem?" she growled. "If you want to teach me something then teach me something that I can use, not this nonsense."

"Must teach basics first. Stopping, throwing, sliding, melting. You melt and slide, can make shadows move 'cross floors and stand half in shadow, but can't make darkness solid for long or stop it. Basics first."

"I think I'd rather go back to using Nothing's powers. Those are more useful."

He chuckled. "You using these now?"

"Yeah, I guess…"

"You've done all basics. Made darkness solid once when healing Zexion. Nothing's powers gone til end of month."

Her eyes widened. "Please tell me you're joking."

"No. Serious. No knowing or control for month."

She groaned and fell back. If Xemnas asked about Sora or anything else, what would she say? He'd kill her if he found out. She put up her hood. That way she couldn't tell between having her eyes open or closed if she looked straight at the ground. The near silence, disturbed only by the soft twisting of the darkness outside the Dark's walls, comforted her. Still blank, she didn't need to be comforted, but to have something match her lack of emotions exactly. The Dark gave her that.

She felt a hand lay gently on her shoulder.

"Hello dearest," Nothing said.

"Hello," she said quietly.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

His statement confused her until she realized that the tendrils of darkness had once again wrapped themselves around her. She allowed them to ensnare her further and leaned her head back, serene in the darkness' caressing grip.

"Go ahead. It's your place anyway."

He squeezed her shoulder gently and sat down beside her silently as the shadows that made the place. Jexa stayed there, happy as could be with the man in white, while Cirix stayed several feet away, watching them critically. Why did Nothing always stick is nose in where it didn't belong? Why couldn't Jexa keep hers in her place?

The next week progressed similarly with a few exceptions, as to be expected with the Organization. Axel lit the kitchen on fire one day, Xaldin speared Xion to the wall another, and Torex managed to set up a rig in Saix's room that made the 'happy happy joy joy' song play every five minutes. Torex also managed to score a fractured arm along with some laughs and scares while learning that Saix in berserker mode is not a good thing. Thanks to potions and a Nobody's ability to heal faster, it would heal in two weeks, but that was two weeks fighting single-handedly. Jexa fought every night with Cirix, honing her new skills and praying that Xemnas wouldn't find a sudden urge to test her former abilities. Every night she left the Dark after having a small chat with Nothing. For some reason he seemed slightly different to her, although she couldn't put her finger on it. After one tiring mission with her new apprentice, she found that the Dark Margin was a good place to hang out after work, so she began visiting it the days Zexion wasn't home, basically every day. All in all, the week had been rather bland, and even though she hadn't said a word, apparently Saix wanted to punish her for thinking it. He gave her a mission with Demyx, which a week and a half ago she wouldn't have minded, but with Torex now in the picture, she worried. Also, the location didn't please her.

"You're sending me to Hollow Bastion with Demyx? You're sure Torex can handle his own mission?" Torex had nothing to do with it. This was all about stupid Demyx finding careless Zexion and calling him by his Organization name in front of Zexion's new friends. That would ruin everything she and Zexion had worked for, his safety and new life.

Saix nodded, a sight she did not want to see. "I am sure that he will be able to perform his own mission quite well without your help."

"Saix, the last time we went on a mission, you sent us to Neverland and he chased that pixie around for three hours asking it to make him fly," she said, making sure that she spoke clearly. "I'm just a little worried that he will mess this up. Where at you sending him?"

He ignored the comment about his chasing the fairy. Demyx did the exact same thing. "Halloween Town," he answered.

She shook her head. "Didn't Demyx said that they have bombs there now? I don't think that Torex should be within a mile of anything explosive."

"Fine. I'll switch him with Xaldin and send him to the Beast's castle."

"He goes nuts over _moogles_. He'll blow our cover chasing after the talking furniture there."

"Luxord and Port Royal?"

"Do you want him to be a part time pirate? Send him to Agrabah. He can't do any damage there."

"We don't need anyone in that world at this time. How about Wonderland?"

"No, he'll get lost and distracted by the vanishing stripey cat." She thought about the different worlds and where he could be sent without landing himself in trouble.

"Hey Saix," she said with a small grin on her face. "Do you know what's beyond the doors in the Coliseum?"

"They lead to the equivalent of a lobby in that world. You should know that," he said, sick of the conversation.

"No, the other doors."

He stared at her. "You want to send the newest member, who's injured beside, into an unexplored realm without any sort of assistance, yet you think it is a bad idea to let him wander off into Halloween Town alone?"

"Yes."

Saix crossed a note out and wrote a new one on his clipboard. "Works for me." For once Jexa had proven herself useful. She had given him a way to get revenge without having to take any of the blame for it if the newbie hurt himself. He handed Jexa her card.

"Yeah, about that," she started.

"I changed one of our plans. You don't expect me to modify two, do you?"

"Well..."

Scratch the usefulness. She'd always be annoying. He opened a portal for her to Hollow Bastion. "Get out of the castle," he muttered.

"But I-"

"Get out of the castle," he growled.

"Demyx-"

"JUST GO!" he roared. Jexa shook her head and walked through. And he called himself emotionless? She didn't think so. She read her card to pass the time until Saix forced Demyx to join her.

_Jexa,_

_There has been a sighting of a Darkside near Ansem's castle. Take it out alongside Demyx._

_Note: Look out for the swarm of Heartless below the castle. We want to save those for the Keyblade wielders, so ignore them._

_Saix_

"It's just Heartless," she said, pocketing the card. "How many could there- Oh god." She leaned over the ledge to have a better look at the mass below. Hundreds of silver Heartless filled the ravine, so many of them that they hid the ground from view. She could imagine their swords clinking towards as they milled around.

"So many," she mumbled. "Why so many? Why do they stay?"

"I don't care as long as they aren't the target." Demyx came from behind her and turned his back to the Heartless. If Saix really did want them to take those nasty creatures out, maybe if he didn't look at them they'd go away.

"No, we have a Darkside on our hands. Read your card."

He dug around in his pocket, pulled out the card, and groaned. "So we have to walk through that? I don't wanna."

Jexa didn't care where they went, as long as they stayed clear of Zexion and Leon's group. Even if she trusted Demyx with some things, she didn't want anyone else knowing this secret.

"Hell-oooo? Earth to Jexa."

He waved his hand in from of her face and she grabbed it, staring at him without a trace of annoyance. "No need for that. C'mon, we've got to get this over and done with. I don't trust Torex alone as far as I can throw him. I need to get to the Coliseum before too long." She opened a Corridor to Ansem's castle, dragging Demyx through before he had a chance to say anything. When they came out, the Melodious Nocturne bent forwards in his pout maneuver and sighed, Jexa wondering what the hell he was doing.

"If you're done stretching," she said. "I think we should start searching."

He straightened up and summoned his sitar. "Can't you go find it?"

She whacked him upside the head and began dragging him again. "No. Let's go. Here's what we'll do once we find it. I'll make it stay still and you kill it."

"You've never fought a Darkside before, have you?" he said, stumbling after her.

"No."

"They're kinda hard."

"Worse than a Neoshadow?" Neoshadows made the top of her list of hard Heartless since they stole her heart.

"Duh! They're, like, ten times worse!"

She grinned and let go of Demyx's coat. "Then this should be fun."

"Why do you-? Aww now that's not even fair!"

They had found the Darkside standing in the middle of the mass of Heartless. Jexa cracked her knuckles and made her way down. This would be great practice ordering Heartless. Demyx did not share her enthusiasm. He moaned and followed her, wishing that he could do recon.

"I'm not cut out for this," he whimpered.

"Hah, does it matter?" Jexa said, anticipating the challenge. Of course she needed to fight once the Heartless stopped obeying her, two minutes at the most. She had to keep up a dark aura while maintaining enough energy to fight when the occasion demanded. It was all about looking like a more powerful Heartless, not a Nobody. That way they stayed their distance from her and anyone close while she stayed passive. The first fist thrown would send the Heartless into a flurry of attacking. In a way, she confused them instead of ordering them. Cirix tried to teach her how to make Heartless do her bidding, but she lacked the skill. This had to satisfy.

"Don't attack them. Stay near me," Jexa warned. Demyx nodded fiercely. Whatever she said went.

"Now stand there for a second." She walked around behind him and stood in his shadow, taking some of the darkness, spreading it over her skin, and passed a little of her power into it. When she was confident of its ability to stick to her, she summoned her sword and took the lead.

"Let's go."

Worlds away, Torex wandered aimlessly through the darkness of the Underworld. A fine mist covered the ground, making it hard to see rocks that posed a tripping hazard. Twice he almost fell on his injured arm. Upon entering, torches lit the path, but those ran out before long. Sometimes rocks fell from the ceiling, although they gave plenty of warning before coming loose. Now he stood in a tunnel with many bright balls of blue light, all flittering around silently and peacefully.

_Well Saix,_ he thought as he passed a few more shimmering lights. _It's dark, dank, dreary, damned, and you can come up with some D words for yourself to describe it if you ever leave the castle. Watch out for the boulders that might fall on your head, and don't inhale too many fumes because it'll make you dizzy. The Heartless here are almost invisible in the lighting. The good thing about it is that there are little lights. I have no idea what they are. They might be hearts._ His broken arm reminded him of how evil Saix became while berserk, but the temptation to prank others never went away. He imagined the Lunar Diviner's face when he said that and his reaction when he learned that it was a joke. He considered doing cardio exercises in order to become better at running from him.

Torex exited the tunnels to find more of the same, except now there was a giant place at the top of a mountain that looked like a villain's lair.

"Now that's more like it," he said cheerfully. He started off towards it, but before he could set a foot on the pathway that led up to it, a giant black dog with three heads blocked his way. It growled and bared its teeth at him, its red eyes gleaming. Its paws alone could kill if it stepped on him. Three thoughts passed through Torex's mind when he saw it:

_That's a big dog,_

_I'll have to include that in the report,_

And-

_I bet it would be really fun to play fetch with._

Of course, there was no time to waste. He picked up the roundest rock he could find and threw it behind him. He pointed at it and yelled, "Go get it boy!"

The dog was not amused. It growled and snapped at him with all three sets of teeth. Torex crossed his arms and stared it down.

"That didn't go the way I wanted. Let's try something different." He projected a sense of being on top of the world, hoping that it made him seem like the alpha to the dog. Instead, it lunged at him, missing him only because Torex shoved throwing stars into its leg when it came too close.

"Bad doggie," he scolded, waggling a finger at it. He had the stars disappear and tried a different emotion, happiness. The dog cowered under the new, unfamiliar feeling. Torex looked at it funny. Had he done it wrong? He didn't think that he had been out of touch with his emotions so long that he had forgotten what happiness really meant. This time he tried fear and the dog sat on its haunches, attentive and obedient. Torex pitied the poor thing, used to fear and never happy.

A breeze from the top of the mountain chilled him. "I should go up there," he said, shivering. "But I'll play with you first. Now, go get the rock ball!"

The ground shook as the dog bounded after the ball. It picked it up and brought it back to Torex, dropping it at his feet. He picked the slobbery rock up and threw it again. The dog stared at it, pained that the person would throw it again after he brought it back.

"Fetch boy!" Torex ordered.

"He doesn't fetch. He's not a Chiwawa," a voice said tersely.

A man dressed in a black toga and a head of blue fire came up from behind and stepped in between Torex and the dog.

"Hey hey, Hades, Lord of the Dead, welcome to the Underworld. Now get out."

_Thank god I put up my hood before I came down, _he thought._ Jexa would kill me if I didn't_. Her strictness reminded him of the way Melanor used to be at times, making the atmosphere an unhappy one, feeding Hades' anger.

"Or maybe you should come with me, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Annoying," he said with an evil grin.

"Sure, why not?" Hades had just given him the chance to change the emotions of a god around. As if he would give up that opportunity. He followed Hades up the winding road, highly anticipating the chat Hades wanted to have.

Jexa killed another Heartless, at least the twelfth since they ran into the mass. Countless others had been lamed in their efforts to finish the mission Saix set for them, yet they were no closer to the Darkside. The dark coating ran out before ten seconds passed, a stark contrast to Jexa's estimate of two minutes. Now they were stuck in the middle of the furious group of Heartless with no way out and no way to the Darkside.

"Demyx, do something," she growled, jamming an elbow into a Heartless' face when it came too close. "Don't just stand there!"

He winced away from another Heartless. Why oh why did he follow her? "Me? What am I supposed to do!"

"Oh, I don't know, fight perhaps? You have a weapon, use it!"

"I'll, just, stand behind you."

Jexa cleaved a Heartless' head in half with a backswing. "Whoops, didn't see that one standing behind me. Saix is going to be mad."

Demyx gulped. He understood the message. "Can't we, like, run through them?"

"I'm willing to chance it if you are."

"Chance it?" he squeaked. He thought that it was a solid idea, not one that involved chance.

Jexa took his question for a confirmation. "Okay, on three. One-"

His eyes widened. "Wait, what-?"

She linked their arms together and crouched down. "Two-"

"What on three? What on thr-?"

She snatched his sitar and dropped her sword, holding the sitar like a bat. "Three!" She sprinted into the mass, towing Demyx behind her. She slammed the Heartless out of her way with the sitar, knocking them left and right. Several dents formed in the metal, making Demyx cry out. He hated seeing his precious sitar treated like this. Within seconds they had reached the Darkside with only a few scratches from where the Heartless' blades crossed them. Jexa grinned and gave him back his weapon.

"Thanks."

He stared at it, on the fringe of tears. "You scratched the paint," he whispered. The sitar gained many more problems than just that while Jexa had it, but the destroyed paint job was the most obvious. No one cared to hear him. Jexa had already started destroying the Darkside. He whimpered and opened a Corridor back to the town so he could fix his precious sitar.

Jexa continuously sliced into the Darkside's leg, frustrated at her lack of progress. The stupid thing nearly drown her with a flow of darkness when it created a dark puddle once and then sent shadows after her. Now it acted like it didn't even know that she was there hacking at its leg. She stepped back and vaulted her sword up into its arm, scowling. On top of everything else, she could feel her blankness wearing off. The familiar itch in the back of her mind had popped up at the worst possible time.

"Demyx, I could use some help here," she said. When he failed to complain, she looked behind her to find him missing.

"Where did he...? Oh no, oh no no no! Why can't he do what he's supposed to do!" She knew he went back to the town. He wouldn't risk Saix's anger by going back to the castle. She faced the Darkside again. How could she kill that huge Pureblood in the little time she had? It was too big to do anything to.

"Do two terrible fighters make a whole one?" she said, exasperated. "Because I can't take this down. Saix should know that. Forget this. Maybe I'll go and take Demyx back, or make one of those necklace thingys. I need to do that before too much longer." She knew she had to put energy in the next necklace so she wouldn't pass out like she did with Zexion. If the Riku Replica had come back, then they both would have died. With the memory of the Replica and how it killed people, the way it sucked the life out of others, an idea formed, and although she had no guarantee that it would work, she thought she might as well give it a shot. She twisted around and plunged her hand into a Heartless' chest, cringing when the sickly darkness clung to her, and pulled out the heart it held. The brilliance of the heart stunned her for a moment. It had been too long since she last held a heart to overcome the wonder of it. In her mind, Cirix stared at the rays of light that managed to find their way within, wishing he was allowed to bask in them, to feel light once more. Jexa felt the emotions it radiated and, although they were greatly dimmed, they reminded of the reason why the Nobodies wanted their hearts back.

_Compress it,_ Cirix finally sighed. _Get away otherwise._

Jexa reluctantly shifted her attention to her darkness._ Right. How exactly?_

_Slight cover darkness, then pressure._

_Got it._ She had the shadows her hands made solidify around the heart, then squeezed it, keeping a close watch on the Heartless. She worried that they might come after the heart, especially when it stayed out in the open like this. The emotions decreased along with the size until she couldn't detect them anymore. She sighed and strung it on a strand of hardened darkness, wishing for the emotions again. They felt right, they made her feel whole. All the thoughts of emotions reminded her of Torex and what happened when she had to steal his heart. She shook her head and stalked up to the Darkside.

"I don't regret it," she growled. "I don't regret stealing his heart. That's just stupid. I'm a Nobody. I can't _regret_ anything." She pushed the thought to the back of her mind before Cirix or her subconscious had a chance to make her feel guilty. She looked up at the Darkside to avoid glancing at the necklace. She remembered how it appealed to the one holding it, the way it wanted to be worn. No way did she want to chance it when she had to deal with it until she found Demyx.

"Alright, that's it for you. Time to die," she called up to the Darkside, spinning the necklace in tight circles. Unless Heartless retained the ability to understand human speech or had great luck, it shouldn't have slammed its hand into the ground and caused a shockwave that sent the necklace flying out of her hand, but that's exactly what happened. It landed right next to her feet, but when it hit the ground, all the Heartless stopped and turned to her. Jexa picked it up and took a few steps back towards the Darkside.

"Creepy..." she whispered.

_Cirix, what's going on?_

He growled._ They notice captured heart, want it but don't know why it's different. Not have long before they attack, then it won't be pretty._

_So how do I get the Darkside's energy?_

_Plug necklace into it, then wait._

_I thought you said I didn't have much time._

_And that would be why you need hurry._

One of the Heartless snapped out of its stupor and rushed her. Jexa narrowly sidestepped it. It came at her again, blades drawn. She had no time to summon her sword, just enough to slip behind the Darkside and avoid being stabbed. Whether or not this bonus would actually amount to anything she had no idea, yet she had no other choice unless she wanted to chance the necklace or defeat the Darkside the normal way. She stuck the amulet into its leg and summoned her sword. Like Cirix said, things would not be pretty.

As the Darkness began to keel over, the rest of the Heartless ran forward. Jexa tensed, ready for the fight, and then realized she didn't have to stay unless she wanted to risk injuries from the Heartless and Saix if she killed any.

"Anti-climatic much," she muttered. She opened a Corridor and ran into town to find Demyx. He couldn't be left alone too long in the castle without causing trouble, let alone in the same area as Zexion.

Demyx sat in the bailey, tending to his sitar. He had no intentions of doing anything other than letting water flow over it and slowly heal its wounds. He sniffed and plucked one of the strings, hating the uneven tone. It stopped a second too late with the frequency too fast. When it came to his sitar, he knew what he was talking about. The little things came in handy during a battle or playing a song, although most of the time he did the latter. Now, however, it worked just well enough to make the water dance over it, nothing more. Jexa hadn't meant to destroy him like this, at least he didn't think so, but it would be awhile before he talked to her again.

"Worst. Day. Ever," he mumbled. He played a quick tune to keep the water flowing. "Dance water, dance," he said. He loved that line. It made him feel a bit better once he spoke it.

_Doiiin. Tiiien._

Demyx lifted his head. Where had that come from? It didn't sound like a Heartless. He hoped it wasn't a new one. Saix gave him specific orders earlier to thoroughly investigate any new Heartless, a.k.a, fight them until they die and take notes at the same time. That would suck, especially since his sitar hadn't fully recovered yet.

_Doiiin. Tiiien._

Okay, not a Heartless. He didn't hear any screams and the noises were too similar to be a Heartless. The moves most made started out the same, then became more erratic as they stayed out in the open, unless it was a really big Heartless. Demyx shrunk back into the wall with the idea that if he didn't see it, it couldn't find him. A second after he curled up, a blue cylinder of light appeared in front of him, making the same _doiiin_ noise he heard earlier.

"What the...?" He reached out to touch it experimentally and yelped when his hand hit it. The thing burned. It made the _tiiien_ noise, flattened into two circles, and disappeared. Demyx scrambled up and watched the floor nervously. It might come back and hit him dead center this time. Maybe it lived in the bailey and wouldn't follow him if he left. Maybe it just wanted him out, like a ghost, exactly like one of those mean ghosts that lived in Somebodies' basements.

"I'm out, I'm out," he yelled to the empty space. "I'm leaving!"

The circle popped up again and began to give chase. Demyx screamed and ran. This was definitely not a ghost that lived in the bailey. He raced past a pack of Shadows, but before he could pass all of them, one surfaced under his feet and caused him to fall. Demyx scrambled back. The thing kept getting closer and he couldn't find his footing. He shielded his face with his arms and braced for the blow. This was going to hurt.

_Doiiin. Tiiien._

He peered between his fingers to see the cylinder zapping the Heartless one by one. It surfaced underneath one as the circles, extended into the cylinder, killed the Heartless, and collapsed. Demyx watched for a moment, stunned, then started off again. No way he would wait around for the thing to finish with the Heartless and then come after him. He skidded to a stop at a corner and waited to see if anything in the vicinity still wanted him dead. When nothing appeared, he sighed with relief and bent over.

"I should have stayed with Jexa and the Darkside," he whined. "This is too much work."

Off to the side, he saw another pair of circles coming after him. He flinched back and yelled, "why won't it go away?" He clamored on top of a pipe and sat there, grateful that the circles couldn't reach him. They kept transforming, but it wasn't tall enough to hit his spot.

"Why did I ever create these? Go away! What part of 'intelligent Nobodies,' did they not understand?"

Demyx's head snapped up. That sounded like, Zexion, but Zexion was dead. Maybe Zexion was the ghost that kept trying to kill him. He looked down at the circles.

"Zexion?"

"This stupid thing! It keeps following me! What will it take to make it go away?"

Okay, that definitely sounded like Zexion angry. He lost some of his literacy angry.

"What's following you, ghost of Zexion?"

"Demyx, Demyx, where did you- ack! What is that?"

And that was Jexa. Did she find someone else's ghost? Probably Vexen. He lived here in Hollow Bastion before the Organization just like Zexion did. She could figure out how to talk to Vexen like he did to Zexion, although ghost-of-Zexion talked to him first and he really didn't figure anything out.

He returned his attention back to the circles. "Why aren't you dead Zexion?"

"Once I get back inside, I'm going to destroy that piece of crap computer!"

Demyx flinched from just how mad Zexion was. He only swore when something really pissed him off. Besides that, he began to think that the circles wasn't dead Zexion. Zexion's voice seemed to be coming from a street down, along with the occasional sound of a book being slammed against something hard. He really wanted to know if his mind made all this up for him or Zexion lived, but he really didn't want to jump off the pipe. Demyx groaned and tensed for the jump. He always had to know what was going on. It had gotten him in trouble more than once, but, as he proudly told Saix, he never learned.

Jexa raced out from the bailey and saw Demyx ready to bolt. She took a quick glance back at those stupid circles and skipped the stairs that led to the street, hopping down the pips instead.

"Demyx, stay there!" she yelled. "I'll open a Corridor, you jump through, and-"

She spoke too late. He jumped off the pipe, over his own tormenting circles, and sprinted around the corner.

"Why. Won't. You. Fucking. _Open?_" she heard Zexion yell. Her eyes widened and she tore after Demyx, only to find him staring at the Cloaked Schemer in disbelief, who was trying to avoid the circles that had been chasing her around as well. Demyx looked back at her and pointed at Zexion, who hadn't noticed either of them.

"Do you see him?" he asked.

She summoned her sword. "Yes," she sighed. "Hey Demyx?"

"Yeah?"

"Two things. One, I don't hate you. Two, I'm sorry."

He barely had time to process the strangeness of her words before she slammed the hilt of her sword down on his head. Stars danced behind his eyes and he blacked out.

Jexa caught him before he hit the ground and put his arm around her neck. "_Zexi-on!_" she yelled, glaring at him. He spun around to see her halfway in a Corridor with Demyx draped across her shoulders.

"Busy!" he yelled, dancing out of the circles' range. How he hated those now. "I am unable to help you right now!"

"You caused this! Get back to your house NOW! If you're not there in ten minutes, I'm coming back to drag you!" She left through the Corridor just as Zexion broke the handle off the door with his Lexicon. He shut the door quickly behind him and breathed a sigh of relief. Now he could fix the program and whatever flaw it had that made it target human-like Nobodies. Perhaps it was the power rating. Sure enough, the system settings allowed it to find Nobodies with high strengths like he and Jexa. Zexion sighed and started fixing the glitch. Just a slight tampering with the sensor's capabilities and, done. He smirked. That hadn't been hard at all. Zexion leaned back, enjoying the fact that the pain in his side wasn't nearly as pronounced as last week. If Jexa let him use Corridors, then he would return to the castle. He paused in his planning when he remembered their most recent encounter. What had she meant when she said Demyx's injuries were his fault? If the program hit him, then possibly it would be his fault, but she didn't know he made it, unless Leon told her, but he had no reason to. Besides, Demyx's injury was a nasty hit to the head that knocked him out, apparently. He reviewed the scene again and again but couldn't find a reason for her accusation.

"Why?" he muttered, his hand at his mouth. The position helped him think. "Why would she bring him here, of all places? Unless, he saw me." Zexion groaned. Why did it take him so long to figure it out? Demyx found him and Jexa knocked him out before too much damage had been done. Now she blamed him for being careless and walking around during the time the Organization carried out their missions. It wasn't as if he could stay inside all day. Leon expected him to do things, although he imagined the man wouldn't be very pleased that he broke the door, and he had to move from one place to another. Still, she'd come back in three minutes to drag him if he didn't go back. He took that threat seriously. He cautiously stepped outside, for he had no intention of being blasted to bits by the system if he hadn't corrected it properly. When nothing tried to chase him, he started off for his house, not without some reluctance. Jexa was going to be ticked.


	22. High Ends

**Rather long, but that's because I refused to put it up short. Meh, better this way. Again, a big thank you to my reviewers. It makes my day when I read a new review ^^**

**(/)**

Torex, on the other hand, couldn't be more pleased. Happiness radiated off of him in waves, as he gathered all the information he needed to keep Saix happy _and_ had a great time. Only his assassin training kept him from jumping up and down in his euphoria. Melanor didn't mind it when he jumped, but Eclypse and Niran didn't care for the antics, although they never said anything, unless he did it over something small. He threw a glance over his shoulder to see red flames shooting out of the lair, the sight making his grin stretch so far his face hurt. His chest ached where his heart should have been adding to his happiness, but he refused to let such a little thing as a heart deter him from having a great time. He pet the giant puppy on the way out and remembered just how the day became so much fun.

When Hades brought him up to the top of the hill, the style of the place impressed him. It fit both the glory a god should have while staying true to the gloominess of the Underworld, as Hades had informed him moments before. The guy lacked no sense of sarcasm and loved puns, teasing Torex a few times because he missed the joke. He never understood things like puns very well, even as a Somebody. The humor of play on words escaped him, a fact that pained Niran. She use to love those sort of things, probably still did, but without him.

Memories of his friends flooded his mind, the uncontrolled, different emotions changing the atmosphere so fast it made him sick, not to mention Hades' own heartfelt annoyance clouding his head a bit. He held up a hand for Hades to wait.

"I just need a minute," he said. "It's, different down here."

"It'd take you more than a minute to get use to this place of sunshine, buddy boy," Hades said, wrapping his arm around Torex's shoulder and leading him along. Torex squirmed, uncomfortable so close to a strong heart.

Hades couldn't figure this kid out. Obviously he had close ties to darkness, and those needed to be exploited, but the kid himself, nada. One second he seemed happy, the next sad, and another aggravated. Still, if it annoyed him this much, it would certainly work on that jerk Irk-Cules.

"So bi-guy, what brings you to-"

Torex shrugged him off. "Bi-guy?"

"You are _so_ bipolar, hence bi-guy. Anyway, before you got your toga up in a bunch, I was going to ask what brought you to the life of the Gods of Olympus party and the only place _not_ on oh so freakin' wonderful, shining Mount Olympus."

Small red sparks appeared in Hades' hair that disappeared as quickly as they came. The god muttered under his breath and clenched his claw-like hands. Torex watched, amused. This guy angered real easily. Maybe just a little fun once he found some info? Psh, hell yeah! He contained his powers to the best of his abilities and walked side by side with Hades, despite the discomfort it brought him. Later, he needed Jexa to show him how to keep calm, although he already loathed the taunts that would come as a result.

"Soooo, Hades," he said as they entered what looked like the god's throne room. "What's Olympus like?"

Hades sat down in the rock chair on the other side of the room, a table almost like a giant chess board stretched out in front of him. He moved a piece, a chimera, in front of a town, grinning.

"That should hold the wannabe for awhile," he said triumphantly.

Torex leaned against the wall. None of the seats looked very comfortable and all of them were lower than Hades' chair, which put him down a rank psychologically. Niran always told him never to chance something like that when trying to gain information, as it might turn the questioner into the questionee.

When Hades' didn't respond to his question, Torex repeated himself. "Uh, difference between here and Olympus?"

"Heh, thought you were kidding at first. Man bi-guy, are you ever out of the loop. See, Olympus is where all the other gods live, party all day and night, whoop-de-do and everything." He spun his finger around in circles, then slammed his hand down on the rest, the red sparks popping up in his hair again. "Just one big family up there, happy, happy, happy, all the time."

"If the other gods are up there, why are you stuck down here?"

"Oh yeah, now you're getting' to the good stuff. My sweet and loving brothers decided it would be best if I worked the graveyard shift while they had the time of their lives!" Again with the sparks. Torex wondered just how must of his hair could turn colors and what shade.

Hades smoothed his hair back and continued. "But hey, I'm a nice guy, I don't mind taking the end of the rope. Speaking of which, you must be at the end of yours."

Torex decided that he was finished for the day and that now was the best time to begin trying Hades' patience. He took a stool next to the table and rested his chin on his arm, not the broken one, avoiding Hades' gaze. "I don't know what you mean."

The god grinned. "Maybe you haven't noticed, bi-guy, but you and darkness are like this." He twisted his fingers together. "I know, you must be thinking, 'how in Hera's name did Hades figure that out?' It just so happens that I am an expert on darkness. Just look outside, it's all you'll find, or maybe that's all that's inside you." He let the words sink in before walking over near an assortment of scrolls. "I know how you can conquer that darkness, but y'know, maybe you're not interested. Maybe I should just kick you out and let you find another way all on your own. I'll leave it up to you, but it's a limited time offer. Better choose fast."

Torex started chuckling, then let loose into full blown laughter. The guy thought he had a heart. That was rich, a prospect that he only mistook once. This guy knew absolutely nothing about darkness, because if he did, he would have known that he was a Nobody, someone without a heart. The idiot. Torex caught his breath and sat up straight.

"You don't know shit about darkness," he challenged, making Hades tense up. "You couldn't convince anyone with a lame setup like that. Give me a break!"

The scroll Hades had ready burned in the literal heat of his anger. How dare his mortal kid insult him like this? One shot from him and bi-guy would be burned worse than Apollo on the summer solstice. He wiped his face with his hand so his anger wouldn't boil over and stepped next to the kid. "You've got me all wrong. I've taught more people than there are damned souls in the Underworld."

Torex nodded. "And I bet each one of those idiots either proved to be too stupid to be of any use or smartened up and left."

Now the entirety of the flame flamed and turned red for a moment. Torex snickered. _Score one for me. So when this guy gets angry, his hair changes red. What else can I make him do? What else can I do other than taunt?_ He nearly hit himself upside his head for the stupidity. He had the power to mess with emotions now. He could do anything he wanted.

Hades gripped the windowsill and glared out at the expanse of the Underworld. He really hated it here. One day old Zeus-y could have a taste of it, along with his especially annoying, soon-to-be-dead son. He'd get tired of the kid eventually, just like he did with all his kids, and then poor Irk-cules' heart would be broken, even if it wouldn't be beating at the time. Hades looked forward to that day.

He heard the stool screech across the floor, notifying him that the kid had left his seat, but he didn't care. He needed that kid on his side, but normal tactics hadn't worked... Was there a point to this anyways? He shook his head. Of course there was. He'd kill Herc the Jerk all by himself, death by stranglement, despite the consequences. No! That wasn't the right way to do things.

"Get a grip Hades," he muttered. "Jeez, you'd think you're becoming crazy like bi-guy over there." First depressed, then crazy-angry, now more tactful than ever before, with all these emotions, he could be mistaken for bi-guy, who was intent on his table board.

"Don't touch that," Hades warned, instantly regretting it. The kid might have died if he touched it.

"Who's that?" he asked, pointed at a new figure battling the chimera. Hades clapped his hands together.

"I almost thought he ditched," he said. "What fun would it be if the target didn't show up?"

Torex threw in five different emotions just to make Hades pay for reminding him of Melanor again. He would joke about the target whenever they went on the mission. Hades had no right to use a line like that. Now, to end this.

"He's gonna kill it. The play is weak, the monster sucks, and the dude looks like a hero. Game over. Please insert another monster into the game. Thank you, have a nice day."

Hades actually turned red this time. "I took seven weeks to make that and you say _it's gonna lose?_ No way Jose!"

Torex danced around Hades. "Ring around the rosy, you've made a dosey, it'll all, fall, down." He cackled and sang it again.

Hades shoved him to the ground, nearly burning holes in his cloak. "Shut up, you stupid little brat or I'll use you as Cerberus' chew toy!"

He jumped up and yelled, "I love that puppy! He's so _friendlay!_ We could play together _aaallllllll_ day!"

Hades had a hard time not exploding. Bi-guy had the maturity of a five year old, and now he was getting poked in the arm.

"What do you _WANT?_" he growled, his hands clawed more than usual.

He stuck out his hand and pulled down his hood. Screw what the others would say. "I don't believe we have been properly introduced. My name is bi-guy. You must be the lame-o god of the Underworld. I'd hate to be you, stuck down in this hellhole. You have no taste in decorating."

Hades was just about to rip the kid's head off when he pointed at the table. "Watch this!" He used Hades' hand to move all the monsters near Hercules before Hades had a chance to react. He god tore his hand away and pointed at the door.

"_OUT!_"

Torex grinned and used the one emotion he hadn't already: anger, and just in time too. The miniature Hercules stomped on all the monsters one by one, reducing them to rocks. Hades gaped in disbelief, gathering his fury, while Torex nodded, his lips pressed together.

"Two things. One, that was awesome to watch, even at mini scale with no action, and two, _I told you so!_ You effin' _suck!_ " He ran through a Corridor and out the other side just as Hades exploded into flame. Red fire shot out the window and the god's tantrum could be heard from miles around.

Torex went over the memory several times before returning to the castle. He had pissed off a major figure in this world, made friends with one of its monsters, and found a person with high strengths but didn't look into it because he didn't feel like it. He couldn't wait to report to Saix.

**(/)**

The last thing Jexa wanted to do was go back to the castle. There was simply too much to do at Hallow Bastion. Zexion returned a few minutes ago and she just came back from retrieving the necklace from the Darkside. She had been pummeled, scratched, bitten, and nearly swallowed by darkness, and now she still had the Demyx problem to deal with. She threw the door open and stalked inside, startling Zexion, who had been tending to Demyx's head. Jexa hit it rather hard, but at least there wasn't any internal bleeding.

She tied the necklace around Demyx's neck, which caused Zexion to stiffen. She did the same thing with him days before he died.

"When is he-? How does-?"

Jexa shook her head, her sympathy for the Melodious Nocturne softening her anger for the moment. "I don't know. I know that Roxas goes back to Sora, and I'm not sure if I can prevent that, and then it's Demyx. I don't know how, I don't know where, I don't know when, and I'm not in a position now to find out." She held her head in her hands, close to taking up Nothing's offer, the only thing stopping her being Cirix's proposition that she took for a month. It didn't let her do that.

Zexion watched with a mix of interest and concern. He figured long ago that Jexa could foretell future events, as her gift of the necklace and the sharp interest the Superior took in her, at least before he left, had few other explanations, so she should know when Demyx's demise was, especially since she predicted his own death. He couldn't grasp why she didn't check when Number IX would die.

"What prevents you from knowing?" he asked.

Jexa laughed once, hollow and sad. "My powers stem from two different, sources, apparently. Depending on which I use more, I can either manipulate darkness better or, how would you say it, see into darkness better." She leaned back in her chair, staring at Demyx. "I've been using the manipulating one more right now, and it's sort of a test run, so I can't see things very well until it's over. Once I finish, I plan on taking full control of the one where I can see things. I can protect others better that way." Cirix wailed inside her mind, but she shut him out. She tried what he offered and she hated it, the lack of control, the vulnerability she and the Organization gained from this.

Zexion still felt left in the dark. "If you wish to have the other version of the power of darkness, then why did you take this one, even if for only a short period?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Someone wanted me to try it before I took up the other one, I was curious, so I tried it. I regret it now."

"Do you think there's a reason why that person didn't want you to take the seeing version of darkness?"

"He doesn't like the guy who's offering it."

"Why?"

"I think it's an attention thing. The one who convinced me to take the trial version of the manipulating power never wants me near the other guy. He always wants me to stay near him.

"Is there a reason for that?"

Jexa didn't mind being so open with Zexion. It wasn't like he had anyone to tell and he actually listened and treated her as an equal. "Not that I know of. Ever since I met him he's been like that."

"There must be a reason for such rivalry, a long time grudge based on a hatred, but of what? Do you have any idea?"

She thought about it. "They're always arguing about something but won't tell me. Nothing wants to show me something, Cirix wants to prevent that, and they each want me to take up the power they have."

"Nothing?"

"The name I gave him," she explained. "He wouldn't tell me his." She paused and grinned at him slightly. "He saved you, you know. Without him, I wouldn't have known how to get the darkness out of you." The smile slid off her face and she focused on Demyx again. "I don't understand why Cirix doesn't like him."

Zexion nodded thoughtfully. He had gained names, a good start, but either he missed the motives of each or Jexa had no intention of telling him or learning. However, she lied so horribly that he doubted that she knew and decided not to tell him. Those who knew so much about darkness, especially this man she called Nothing who had such extensive knowledge that he could heal the most grievous of dark wounds, needed to be handled carefully, but Jexa talked about them like they were good friends.

"Jexa, I suggest that you be more wary of the both of them, Cirix and Nothing. They are hiding something."

She shook her head. The names slipped out earlier, not like she meant to give Zexion all the info he wanted. "Not you too. Cirix is always warning me about Nothing. He tried to tell me about something earlier when I asked by mistake, but I'm not sure I want to be drawn into it. Their fight is their fight. I trust Nothing enough to believe what he says."

"Jexa, that is rather foolish. You should-"

Demyx groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. Jexa pulled Zexion close and whispered, "Nothing's my friend and I trust my friends. I don't need to ask to know he wants the best for me. That's that. Now we need to deal with Demyx." She pushed off him and summoned her sword, walking up to Demyx. She held it at her throat, glaring at him. Zexion knew she was bluffing, since she tied the necklace on his neck and would be wasting it if she killed him, but he didn't know if she would slice him a little besides.

Demyx flinched back, but Jexa kept her sword close. "I-I swear I didn't do it!" he cried. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it!"

"Oh yes you did," she said, keeping her voice low and level. "Demyx, you just made the biggest mistake of your life." She let the words sink in and then said, "Zexion, what are we going to do with him?"

"Zexion?" he said, astounded. He thought it had been a dream.

She nodded grimly. "I tried to tell you not to find him, but you wouldn't listen. So, Zexion, what-?"

The door slammed behind the Cloaked Schemer. Jexa spun around to find no Zexion but a note on the table. Grumbling, she left Demyx with orders to stay and picked it up.

_Today has been a bit much, not being discovered by Demyx, but your actions concerning your dark 'friends' and how you are treating poor Demyx. Until you grow up, I will not tolerate you._

_- Zexion_

Jexa crumpled the piece of paper, ticked at Zexion. He thought she was being immature about all of this? She was concerned with his safety, Demyx came second in this. With Nothing and Cirix, that was none of his business. She dealt with Cirix and Nothing on a daily basics, not him, so he had no idea what type of things they talked about.

"I can't believe him," she muttered, Demyx forgotten. "What right does he have to say that?"

"Say what?"

Jexa glanced over her shoulder at the blonde. She had forgotten how he could change the amount of emotion he portrayed at will. Right now he showed nothing more than curiosity, his fear forgotten, mostly because she had lowered her sword once she read the note. She dropped the paper and the sword, then sat down next to him. He cringed a bit, but she didn't react.

"Zexion's mad at me for pointing a sword at you and something I told him before you woke up," she explained, leaning back on her arms. "I really am sorry for hitting you upside the head and threatening you. I sort of panicked and, yeah." She trailed off and watched Zexion walk away through the window. She hoped he wouldn't get into any more trouble.

Demyx patted her on the head and smiled. "It's okay. I've been knocked out for other stuff that's not nearly as knockout-worthy. Like, once, Axel-"

"We're not talking about Axel," Jexa snapped. The last thing she wanted to be reminded of was the traitor when she became so close to turning herself. Besides, she didn't like being patted on the head. It made her feel short, which, compared to every Organization member except Roxas, she was.

"Right," Demyx said, awkward. Jexa stayed silent, glaring at the ceiling.

"Hey, um, about Zexion?" he asked.

"Yes?" she sighed.

"Why is he still alive?"

She fell back and folded her arms under her head. "All I can tell you right now is that he should have died but he didn't because of me. I saved him. Why he should have died or how I saved him I can't tell you until I know you'll stay silent about this."

"But why is he here and not at the castle? We all love Zexi."

She bit her lit and thought her words through carefully. "Let's just say not all of us love Zexi."

"What do you-? Oh..." The thought that someone in the Organization wanted his friend Zexion dead didn't make him too happy. "Well, I guess I shouldn't say stuff 'bout him then."

"You guess?" Jexa said tersely.

He put his hands out in front of him defensively. "Okay, okay, I shouldn't. Just don't point your sword at me or knock me out again."

She chuckled evilly and opened a Corridor back. "C'mon, let's go home. I took care of the Darkside. Oh, and the necklace I gave you while you were asleep, it won't come off, so don't try."

"Huh?" He looked down to find the necklace hanging around his neck, the soft glow of the amulet almost warming his skin. "It's very pretty..."

She nodded. "I made it for you. Now, we need to get back before Saix has a hissy fit." She grabbed a fistful of his cloak and dragged him through the Corridor, meeting Saix and Torex on the other side. Torex gave her a maniacal grin before continuing his conversation with the senior member. Jexa shook her head. Over the previous week, she learned that grin meant nothing good.

"Saix, we defeated the Darkside and didn't kill that many Heartless," she said over Torex. "It was in the middle of that ravine place, so it was kinda hard to reach. We're lucky we didn't kill any more."

"Good job," he said hastily. "I'll make sure to pass it on to Xemnas."

"Go," she said quietly to Demyx. The man silently thanked her for dealing with Saix and ran off down the halls. Jexa gave her attention to Torex and Saix, hoping not too much damage had been done on Torex's first mission.

"So then there's this god, Hades, who rules the Underworld, and boy does he have a temper. Get him too mad and he explodes into flames," Torex said, ecstatic.

"Alright, but that is not an accurate description of how infuriated this man can be," Saix said, trying to be patient.

"His head, which already has a blue flame on it, how that got there I have no blipping idea, and the rest of him turns a shade of red and he lights himself on fire. I think it would burn someone. See? He scorched my cloak."

"And how do you know this and get those burn marks?" Jexa asked, watching her apprentice carefully. Both of them members looked at her, their expression total opposites, Torex grinning ear to ear and Saix wearing an exasperated, exhausted frown.

"I ticked him off," Torex said, very proud.

"How?"

"Basically, I antagonized him until he was yelling at me and his head was constantly red. Hey, that rhymed!"

Jexa turned to Saix, who was hopelessly lost dealing with the hyper member. The last time someone acted like this was when Jexa had a sugar high, but he was allowed to knock some sense into her later, and it hadn't lasted too long. This kid acted this way all the time.

"Look, Saix," she said. "I know Torex. He did something in that world that put him on the high end of hyper. You're not getting anything out of him today, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was exhausted tomorrow."

Saix nearly breathed a sigh of relief. At least he could have a rational talk with her, even if he didn't like her too much. "Thank you Jexa, although I don't believe your last part. If you came to me surprised, I would ask you how you regained your heart."

Torex laughed and clasped Saix's shoulder. "Hey, he tried to make a funny! Wasn't too good though. Try again next time!"

Both Jexa and Saix glared at the newest member, fed up with the antics. "Lock him in his room," Jexa suggested. "He'll be tearing all over the castle if you don't."

Saix nodded. "Good idea. Fetch Xigbar to do it. He is the only one who can lock the door from the outside. I'll watch Sixteen in the mean time."

"You sure? I can stay if you want."

"No. If I have handled Demyx and Xigbar on a mission before, I can handle Torex."

Jexa shrugged. "If you say so." She could barely handle Torex blank on one of his good days. She had no idea how Saix would deal with him when he was like this and Saix had to rely on willpower to keep calm. His funeral, or mental institution, whichever came first.

Once Jexa sent Xigbar to fetch Torex, she left for her room and shut the door. Saix hadn't paid much attention to her because of Torex, so he hadn't noticed her wounds on her arms where the Heartless had slashed her. After a long shower and a few bandages, she slipped into bed and fell asleep.

**(/)**

Torex stared upward in his own room, lying on his bed with a smile on his face. He could hear Saix rambling like a madman in the next room, the result of being left alone with him for five minutes on, describing it with the most wonderful definition Jexa made up, the high end of hyper. Just thinking about that made him laugh. Plus, he made someone furious without having to pay for it, and he had the best feelings coursing through him, the most realistic sense of emotion since he lost his heart.

Best. Day. Ever.

**(/)**

Jexa opened her eyes to the Dark, Cirix sitting in front of her, dejected. As much as she usually rejected Cirix, the sight of him like this made her upset. She reached forward to comfort him, but he slid out of reach. Her concern grew. He always accepted her affection, no matter how mad.

"Cirix?" she said softly. "Cirix, what's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter," he said, his tone flat and dead. "Whatever I do, it won't matter. I've tried and I've tried, but you still don't like me. You don't want me."

His pitiful state annoyed Jexa a little, but he seemed sincere enough she knew she had to do something. "That's not true," she said. "It's just, it's just I don't see things your way. I want to protect the Organization because they don't deserve the death Sora'll be advertising. Maybe because of things they've done specifically, but not just because they're Nobodies. I can't do that with these powers."

"If you liked me, you'd listen to me and Zexion."

"Cirix, don't get into this again," she said. "Not now."

He faced her, and for a moment Jexa thought he had scratched his face again, but when the lines didn't heal, she realized they were tears. His eyes were more orange than yellow, the Shadow version of bloodshot eyes from crying. He wiped a cheek with his hand and sniffed, his anntennea flat behind his head.

"Please ask," he said. "Please."

"You are not allowed to ask her of that," Nothing said gruffly.

Nothing sat against the wall, the dark tendrils creeping over him and his hat hiding his eyes. The darkness acted agitated, as if it didn't want to crawl over him today. Jexa looked from one to the other, confused.

"Am I missing something?"

"Yes," Nothing said. Cirix only nodded.

She sighed. "I don't wanna know. You two are so complicated." She picked Cirix up and held him in her lap, stroking his head. The black tears fell on her glove, soaking through it and staining her hand.

"Why are you sad Cirix?" she asked.

"She hasn't revoked her previous statement, the one where said she she wishes to have no part in this."

Cirix nodded slightly and curled up in Jexa's arms. "I know," he whispered, ready to cry again. "Jexa, I don't think I can protect you anymore. I-I'm gonna lose you. I don't wanna be left alone. Don't leave me..."

Jexa kept stroking the poor creature as he silently sobbed. What was he going to lose her to? She didn't dare ask in case that put her or Cirix in a worse position. She hugged him close and rocked back and forth.

"Shh, it'll be alright," she said. "We'll be okay. Everything will turn out fine. You'll see."

Harsh laughter pierced the sorrow, taking its own sweet time to die. "'Everything will be fine.' You have no idea what will turn out to be fine," Nothing spat. "Even if you can see things, you have no idea what shall be 'fine'."

Jexa absorbed the words, wishing she could do the same for Cirix. She knew Nothing was right, but for Cirix's sake, she couldn't say that. "We have to keep going, even if we don't know what's going to happen."

She said the lie before she thought it through, so it surprised her and made her think. Possibly she and the Organization would have no problems if she gave them the necklaces before Sora woke and stuck with Sora. However, other factors might change things and put people in jeopardy. If she took the gift and rid herself of those variables, then Cirix might not come out of this state, yet if she didn't, someone might die. It'd be awhile before Sora woke up, she knew that much, so she had some time to decide.

She smiled at Cirix. "I think I can wait a little longer before taking that up."

His eyes widened and he perked up. "You mean it?" he said hopefully.

She chuckled. "Sure. Maybe when I go with Sora I'll need it, but not right now."

He threw his arms around her neck. "Thank you Jexa! Thank you so so much!"

Laughing, she pulled him off. "Hey, just don't go all pout maneuver on me again. That was-"

The sound of glass shattering disrupted the moment. All around Nothing, shards of darkness littered the floor, a few still clinging to his suit. Jexa and Cirix turned their heads back, wondering what just happened. He stood without a trace of whatever caused him to break the darkness like that. When he stepped on a shard, Cirix grinned.

"He's maaaad..."

Nothing rolled his shoulders, muttering to himself. He removed himself from the circle of shards and faced Jexa. "When someone is injured because of your reluctance, you will regret delaying acceptance." He walked away stiffly, disappearing into darkness quickly.

Cirix jumped away from Jexa, still grinning. "Someone had a tan-trum," he said in a sing song voice.

Jexa blinked. She hadn't been expecting that. Maybe a lecture or another statement about darkness, but not him snapping. What he said shook her, the fears she had about putting off taking his offer and making Cirix happy instead now voiced. "He was having a bad day," she said in a whisper. "Everyone has bad days."

Cirix snorted. "Oh c'mon, that didn't sound at least a little bit odd to you, threatening you like that?"

She tore her eyes from the spot he left and looked at Cirix, her face too calm to be happy, the blankness odd when she should have been annoyed with Cirix. "That wasn't a threat, that was a statement of fact and you know it. You know what else? When you're yelling at me, when you're trying to make me not take his offer, doesn't it sound a little odd to you? When you're upset and it sounds so fake, doesn't it sound _odd_ to you? When you've done stuff that serves no purpose in training, when you've tricked me into taking this offer, _doesn't it sound odd? Doesn't it!_"

By now she was screaming and on her feet, her hands clenched at her sides. She hadn't been this mad since the Xion episode. Cirix's antennae had flattened again and he sat in front of her, looking up sadly. Jexa couldn't stand it anyone. "When you've done nothing for me, when Nothing is the only one who's ever cared about me since I became a Nobody, doesn't it sound odd that you don't want me near him? Even if Nothing is weird sometimes, even if he can be blunt, it isn't nearly as bad as _having_ to _put up_ with _you!_" She took a shaky breath, trying to get her temper under control. "I told Zexion that I trusted Nothing. I don't trust people freely, Cirix. I trust him because he's never lied to me, he helped me when I needed it, and he comforted me when I failed. He's been there every step of the way. You, even though we're closely connected, I'm not sure I can trust. The only thing you're concerned about it getting me away from Nothing. You don't care about me. You care about not being left here alone. I like you Cirix and you're a good friend, so I don't want you to be unhappy, but you've never shown me any sign that you're the same towards me, that I'm a good friend and you want me to be happy. If you want my trust, then you'll have to gain it by being there for me."

Cirix gave her a forced, lopsided grin, a pained look. "Sometimes, when you have really good friends, you have to keep them from doing stupid things."

Jexa shook her head. "But with really good friends, you focus on more than the mistakes they're making." She sighed. "Good night Cirix. I'll think about keeping my promise. I'm not so sure about it anymore."

"Jexa-!"

She reminded herself that this was a dream, and like normal dreams, the realization woke her. She flipped over and fell back asleep, ignoring the calls from the Dark and Cirix. As much as she wanted to see him, Nothing failed to show, so she slept with the guilt of tearing Cirix down alone. She hoped that it would make things better now that she said something, but that didn't help the fact that she was terrible to him. Yet, like any other thing she did wrong, she scolded herself for thinking that she should feel guilty and pushed it to the back of her mind.

Saix paired her with Torex again the next day, using the excuse that the newest recruit wasn't ready for solo missions quite yet so he wouldn't have to hear the kid ramble again once he finished the mission. After a week spent with Torex, Jexa had gotten used to his antics, so she really didn't mind. She ignored Cirix for her mental sake and opened a Corridor to Twilight Town. Saix said that Torex would meet with her shortly.

Half an hour later, he arrived, clutching his head and walking with an uneven gate. Jexa watched, unamused. He kept her waiting and now he was complaining over what was probably a regular headache when she had killer migraines at least once a week. After a moment, she noticed that he also shied away from light and seemed a little dizzy. She groaned.

"You have a hangover, don't you?"

Torex flinched back from her voice, the sound grating on his ears. "Yes. Apparently a lot of emotions can do that to a Nobody, and let me tell you, it sucks!"

"Well, we're fighting Riku today, so you'll have to get over it."

He sighed and fell back on the ground, putting his hood up and curling up into a ball. "I don't wanna." He placed his head on his knees, muttering nonsense.

Jexa stared at him. This kid had issues. "If you don't get up, I'll lead Riku over here and let him knock you out," she threatened.

"You do that," he mumbled.

"Xemnas might come out of the castle if I asked him." She wouldn't step within ten feet of the Organization's leader, and although Torex hadn't known her very long, he knew no sane person would voluntarily bring Xemnas into a situation.

"Liar," he grumbled.

Jexa kicked his back. "Get up before I get Saix. Him I don't mind so much, and I know he'd love to hit you into next week."

Torex fell over onto his face, not without some theatrics. "Go away."

"You lazy- Fine, you want to lay around?"

He knew when she said something like that, she had reached the end of her rope, and when that happened, she snapped. "Maybe," he said tentively.

"Maybe, okay. In that case, you have three options. One, you can wait here until I get Saix. Two, you can come with me and kill Riku. Three, you can lay here and fight these." She snapped her fingers and fours Dusks appeared, edging close to Torex before flying back again, making them harder to fight. "Which will it be? If you don't choose, then it's all three."

Once the member thought about her options and how she really would do all three, he sighed. "Two it is."

Jexa nodded sharply. "That's what I thought. Now get up and let's go before too much time is wasted." She hauled Torex to his feet and started towards the woods, XVI trailing behind her.

Neither spoke on their way to the mansion. Jexa thought about her actions over the past day or two. She couldn't decide whether or not she was being too hard on others, and if she was, what had caused the change. It bothered her, even though she'd never admit it, that she yelled at Cirix so, and Zexion had been right when he told her that she had been overly mean to Demyx. She knew she needed an attitude adjustment, but she wasn't sure where to start.

"Penny for your thoughts," Torex said, rather calm for him.

Jexa barely spared him a glance. "The currency here's munny, so no pennies. I don't know where you would have gotten one."

"Those are sorta boring thoughts. I wouldn't pay you for those anyway."

She chuckled. "Aren't you the comedian? You're rather quiet yourself, you know."

"Having a headache does that to me."

"I can hit you on the head and give you a headache every day if this is the result. In fact, everyone can have a go at it, one member per day."

Torex grinned and stuck his hands in his pockets. Sometimes Jexa could be strict, but at others, she was fun to hang out with. It all depended on the situation. What made the difference he wasn't sure, but he liked it when she joked around more than when she tried to make him work.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said, stopping at the entrance to the forecourt.

"Currency here's munny," he said.

"You just stole my line."

"That I did."

She leaned against a tree, her arms crossed. Rarely did Torex act so serious, and for some reason, she didn't think he was now because of the headache. "I was thinking about how I need to loosen up a bit, to answer your question."

"What brought that up?"

She shrugged. "I've been tense over the past few days and I don't think I should be. I've made more than one person upset because of that." She lowered her head. "I've never liked hurting people." That reminded her of how she had to steal Torex's heart, how she took his life away, and now she stood talking amiably with him. She frowned and turned towards the mansion. It wasn't right to be doing that.

"We need to deal with Riku," she said, her voice stony. "The Organization says that he's trying to influence Xion and they don't want that. He could prove to be a problem."

Torex came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She said that she didn't like to hurt people, but now she had to kill someone. He watched what happened to Eclypse when she killed someone, and she had done it before, yet she still couldn't function right for the next few days.

"Is there something you want, Torex?" she said. "If not, I think you should let me go."

Only now did he realize that she could sense a faint emotion from her, one of guilt and sadness. He wondered what triggered that. Usually he couldn't detect anything from her, and he would never have guessed that those emotions were the ones stemming from her mind.

"Torex," she said, getting annoyed.

He snapped out of his daze. "Er, sorry, lost in thought. Hey Jexa, maybe you should sit this one out. I'll take care of Riku and you-"

"No." She pulled herself from his grip. "Saix assigned you and me to this mission. We both have to do it." She walked into the forecourt, despite Torex's worries. He really shouldn't be so concerned, at least in her view, not because she felt guilty about taking his heart, since that would be ridiculous, but because he didn't own her anything. He shouldn't be risking his life in order to save hers, especially under their circumstances, even if Torex didn't know what they were.

"Summon your weapons," she said, drawing her own sword. "Riku will be here in a minute."

Torex did as she suggested, not without some reluctance. He hoped things would work out okay. In the back of his mind, he thought about going hyper on Jexa to try and drag her out of whatever was wrong, despite his hangover and her seriousness, but the logic in him prevented him. He needed to be ready for Riku.

The silver-haired teen ran out of a Corridor, meeting the two hooded figures on exit. He bristled and drew Way to Dawn. DiZ said the Nobodies would come back, and here they were again, a new one and his old enemy from Castle Oblivion, the only Nobody he couldn't defeat. It still irked him that she ran around free after facing him and causing him so much trouble. She needed to be taken care of. To his surprise, DiZ appeared next to him, his hands behind his back and his features stiff. Riku knew that the man shared his opinions on the Nobodies.

Jexa snorted. "Well what do we have here? An annoying little boy and a bastard of a man. Perhaps I can take out two people today and make Xemnas very happy." She punched Torex in the arm. "We wouldn't want to disappoint the Organization, now would we?"

Torex stumbled a bit, transfixed on DiZ. He hadn't even heard Jexa. "Dude, what is _with_ you? You are just _ticked off!_ I've only met one person who could get as angry as you. Who did you lose?"

Jexa saw DiZ's eyes flare for a moment before going back to being icy cold. She remembered the way he reacted to her comparing him with the Organization members and grinned. "You knew them," she said, rather pleased. She started scratching the ground in front of her with her sword, an old habit she never broke. "You knew some of the Organization members as Somebodies. That's why you got so mad when I said that stuff at Castle Oblivion."

While Torex was hopeless lost in this conversation, Riku looked at DiZ, somewhat confused. He had a better understanding, but not by much. "What is she talking about?"

Jexa's grin only grew and she cut DiZ off before he explained anything. "I remember saying something before storming out of that castle. I have no idea what I said, but I know it must have gotten to you. You had that shocked face before I left. Would you mind filling me in? I think it would be really interesting."

"DiZ, what is she talking about?" Riku said again, more forceful.

DiZ shook his head, calm as ever, a fact that irritated Jexa. "Pay no mind to her, Riku. She is doing what every cornered Nobody does, lying. Do not let her fool you."

Torex noted the conviction in his voice and had no doubt that Riku would believe DiZ without question. That was the end of that conversation, then. He waved at the boy and said, "so, how's Sora?" Riku tightened his grip on the Keyblade, any doubts now removed. Jexa gave Torex a 'you-are-so-stupid' look, visible even with her hood on.

"You see?" DiZ said, turning his back to the two. "They only desire to know about your friend, and what do you think they will do once they find out? They tried to eliminate him once already, remember."

Jexa grew tired of the banter. "You mind?" she said to Torex, motioning at DiZ. He understood and threw a star into the man's cape. Riku went back onto the defensive, but Jexa waved him down.

"He'll let him go, chill," she said. "I just wanted to tell him that we don't care about Sora, only you Riku. And to go through the formalities and all that crap, either stop messing with some of our member's heads or consider this your last whatever. What's your answer?"

DiZ kicked the star off and left. Without the man to worry about, Riku launched himself into battle against Jexa. She barely had time to put up her block. He slashed at her a few times, the blows narrowly parried, before Torex threw a star near his foot, glaring. Riku jumped back, giving Jexa a chance to rush forwards.

"Hey!" Torex called out, but the two ignored him, their blades clashing. Jexa tried to smash her hilt into his arm, but Riku sidestepped it and launched his own attack, swinging his blade around in a semi-circle. She dodged the blow and retreated a few paces. They circled each other, trying to find an opening.

Riku smirked. "You're actually fighting fair this time?"

Jexa ran forward and placed an upperslash, only to be blocked again. "Thought it would be worth a shot." She skidded back from one of Riku's attacks. "Torex! A little help here!"

"You don't have to fight!" he yelled at them.

Jexa parried Riku's attack. "You don't know the history Torex! Just help me!"

Riku threw a ball of dark fire towards Jexa. He couldn't believe his luck. One of the members wouldn't fight and the his enemy decided to fight fair. Before he had a chance to stop her, she ran into the bushes and away from the bluish ball. He stood in his stance, Way to Dawn above his head, and listened. Where had she-? There! He chopped down one of the bushes, only to find a squirrel.

"Wrong bush," she growled from behind. "You forget that I have power over darkness." He felt the tip of her sword on his neck, the blade sliding to the side before he could jump away. He grinned and lowered his head.

"You Nobodies really aren't that smart, are you?" Jexa left herself open for just a second, caught off guard by the statement, and that was all he needed to slice her arm and knock the sword away. She hissed and retreated, standing next to Torex.

"Either fight or go home," she said. "You'll just get in my way."

She knew she had to end this fast. Riku only had a nick from where her blade hit his neck while she had a gash on her fighting arm, and the blood wouldn't be stemming any time soon. She shifted her weight to the left, started off in that direction, then made a sharp turn right, staying low. Riku couldn't react quick enough to the change in direction and resorted to using his arm as a shield. She slashed into it, narrowly missing the major veins. He inched back, more cautious now.

"So maybe you can fight," he said. "Still, I'm not impressed."

Jexa held her sword out in front, waiting for Riku to make the next move. "I have to say, your performance hasn't been spectacular either."

"I thought I should go easy on a girl."

"Does that mean I should go easy on you and return the favor?"

Riku noticed the confident air in her voice and rushed forwards. She had let her guard down again. He grimaced and stabbed at her chest. She was making this too easy. She danced back, but he tripped her and she fell. Riku directed a kick to the back of her head. She narrowly ducked, the momentum sending Riku off balance. Jexa hit the back of his leg in hopes of knocking him down, but he backflipped into the foliage. She swore under her breath. Now she had lost him. Wonderful.

Torex watched, torn on what to do. They really didn't any need for the fight. He knew he could convince Riku to stop listening to DiZ, but the Keybearer obviously wanted Jexa gone, and DiZ had only added to that fire. With that in mind, he had to help, but if he did, Jexa would have to kill Riku, and he was pretty sure that she would fall apart if she killed someone since she barely stood hurting people. He tracked the two, cringing every time the blades clashed. He threw two stars at them, both whizzing past their faces.

"Stop it already!" he yelled. "It's not worth it!"

Riku couldn't disagree more. This Nobody meant to attack his friend, he was sure. Anything else she said was a lie. DiZ told him that and DiZ always turned out to be right.

Jexa lunged at him, distracted now. She had no choice but to attack. Riku wanted this fight, she knew that. What Torex said made sense, yet she started this, so she had to finish.

Riku noticed the delay between her attack and her next blow. He could end this now.

"You are really slow," he taunted, flourishing his blade.

Jexa took a step back. [It's not worth it.] Those words kept ringing through her mind, repeating themselves over and over again. She put up her guard, staying on the defensive, and watched Riku carefully. How did this help anyone? If Riku died, then Sora would be really mad when he woke and he'd kill them all before they had a chance to blink.

"He's right Riku," she said. "This doesn't help anyone."

He yelled and charged at her again. "This helps Sora!" Torex flinched back from the ferocity of the emotions and even Jexa noticed them. She dodged him, but before he passed her, she sensed a growing amount of darkness in him. Her mind whirled. Riku used darkness when things became desperate and he wanted the battle over. Zexion's wound from Riku was a slash to the side, and Nothing said the member received it from a Keyblade infused with Riku's corrupted darkness. Way to Dawn couldn't be it. In a flash, he had a different blade in his hand, Soul Eater, and Jexa knew what he meant to do.

"Torex, run!"

Riku disappeared, giving Jexa barely enough time to use the ability Cirix taught her not too long ago, the one where she kept darkness from going through her. With vain hopes, she tried moving out of the way, but Riku still appeared on the other side with her blood on the blade. Torex ran forward, wide-eyed.

"Jexa!"

The fourteenth member gasped and staggered. The blow hadn't done as much damage as usual, but it still ended the fight. Blood streamed from a side wound, staining her cloak. With her breath ragged, she smiled weakly at Torex.

"I'm fine. Don't, worry 'bout it. Just a, scratch." She tried walking, but nearly fell. Torex caught her and opened a Corridor. He had no idea where it led, but anywhere was better than here.

Riku straightened up to find both of the Nobodies gone. He frowned. He didn't think it took him that long to suppress the darkness in his heart again. At least he managed a kill blow before they escaped. DiZ would be proud.

Worlds away, a man sat in a janitor's closet, watching TV on a small screen, one of those dramatic soap operas. He would have been playing his Gameboy, but it ran out of charge and he left the charger at home, so he was stuck hiding with this. Not too long ago he finished work, and now his boss wanted him on another project. Heh, no thanks. He checked in the ER not too long ago, about a half an hour, and no one in there held his attention. The best he found was a man who had severe hallucinations, but he overdid drugs about a week ago, apparent from the blemishes on his skin. Of course, he didn't say anything. Why make the other doctor's lives any easier? He had pain to deal with.

A young girl with orange hair popped her head in the room. The man looked at her for a second before returning to the show.

"Did you know Helen's actually married?" he said incredulously. "I mean, my god, she's having an affair with three other men."

The girl pursed her lips and presented him a file. "You have a new case."

He took his cane and knocked the folder out of her hands, distressing her a bit. "Are you saying you don't mind this love square? I thought miss ethical would have problems with it, or does that mean you've finally grown up and noticed there's a world outside your little bubble?"

Her shoulders raised as she prepared to say something, but she thought better of it and picked up the file. "Cuddy wants you to take it. She says-"

He held one finger up, listening. "Shh. Commercial's over."

A black man walked in the room and shut off the mini TV. "House, you have a case. You need to start on it before Cuddy gets any angrier. She's already ticked-"

House leaned on his cane and stood up, snatching the file. "Who cares? She'll be even more ticked once she finds that picture of her I posted on her Facebook page." He opened the file and read it aloud. "Female. Black hair, blue eyes, scar on her face, blah blah blah, skip to the medical stuff… Ah, here we go. Let's solve this fast so I can get back to my show." The other man sighed, watching House impatiently. The girl fidgeted, nervous.

"I think it's going to take more time than however long your show lasts," she said quietly.

"If you watched TV, you'd know that some shows last for a very long time," House said, pausing in his reading. He started again, his joking features becoming more serious. "That can't be right," he muttered, handing it back and sitting in front of the TV again. "Go find a real case and stop screwing with my head. Foreman, go take Master to the clinic or do her homework, something useful, like my hours or leading Cuddy-"

Foreman threw it back in his lap. "If you read the file all the way, you'd know she's about to crash any second due to low BP along with the odd color of the blood."

House glanced at Foreman out of the corner of his eye. "How low?"

Foreman smirked. He finally had House's attention. "So low the monitors could barely pick it up. Then again, she keeps taking it off and insisting that we let her go. She won't let us run any tests and her friend refused to let us in the room once she passed out."

House packed up his stuff and stepped on his scooter. "Well then, I say that's my cue. Onward my minions!" He nearly ran over Foreman and Master on his way out, grinning like a mad fool. He knew he was going to enjoy messing with this stubborn patient and her accomplice.


	23. Different Kinds of Help

Jexa opened her eyes to a strange room with a strange view outside. The steady beeping reminded her of a doctor's visit she made once back in her old world when a man came in hooked up with IVs and different machines. So this must be a hospital, but what world? She moved slightly and a burst of pain erupted in her side. Jexa hissed and clutched at the site. That's right, Riku did his stupid dark move and she barely survived it. The son of a bitch. Only now, when the pain sharpened her senses, did she realized that tubes were stuck in her arm and she was dressed in a green hospital gown. The thing felt flimsy and insubstantial, unlike her defined Organization cloak. It made her feel vulnerable and open, not exactly something she, or anyone else for that matter, wanted. On her finger, a small plastic thing clamped down, a wire coming out of it and trailing to the floor. She plucked it off, making alarms sound.

An annoyed nurse stepped in and replaced it before a minute passed. "Try to keep it on," she said with little patience. She stalked out of the room, leaving Jexa there with a blank face.

"What's…" Dizziness swept over her, stopping her question. She shut her eyes and sank into the bed.

_ What's going on?_

"You can't go in there!"

Jexa became more alert at the sound of Torex's voice. Where was he, and who couldn't go where? She mumbled and slipped back between the sheets, feeling awful. Nearly dying had that effect on a person apparently. She wondered if Zexion had to get through this as well.

"If I ever get my hands on Riku, I'm gonna tear him apart," she muttered. Now she had to get him for this and hurting Zexion.

A man on a scooter wheeled in and stepped off, a limp limiting his movement. Torex flew in after him, absolutely furious. Jexa felt the waves of anger coming off him. She flinched back, the projected emotions uncomfortable.

"If you wouldn't mind, Reto?" she said, using his Somebody name. She didn't know the intentions of the man or the people who put her in here, so she couldn't use their Organization names. Besides, Saix would have a fit if she said too much, especially since she didn't have a hood hiding her face.

Torex looked at her, the pale face and the tired, sunken eyes, and kept his anger under control. She didn't need to be any more uncomfortable. Still, this doctor had no right to be in here. They came here so Riku couldn't get to them, not for treatment. He explained that several times, excluding the Riku part since the authorities would be all over them, but no one listened. They refused to let Jexa go based on the color of her blood, her physical state, and the low blood pressure. No matter. A Dark Corridor when no one was looking would solve everything.

The doctor finished marking off things on a chart and sat down next to Jexa. "You're the one who's causing all the trouble? I find that hard to believe." He tapped the screen with his cane. "Considering you're almost dead and all. You know what can keep you alive? Doctors who can figure out what's wrong with you. We'll start with a name and go from there."

"Jae," she said. "J-A-E. Just Jae."

"We need a last name for medical records."

She brushed her hair out of her face, the small movement wearing her out. "Don't have any. Reto and I, we've been living under the radar. Can I go now?"

House grinned. In such a state she wanted to leave? This girl obviously had no idea how hospitals or their systems worked. "We need to do tests-"

"What kind of tests?" Torex asked, tense. He placed a protective hand on Jexa's shoulder, his glare daring House to do anything.

"Blood work, maybe an MRI or a CT scan," he said, unfazed. The loved ones of patients often didn't like what he did, and since Reto wasn't shooting at him or anything, which some people had, he didn't place very high on his 'impressive people' list. "Depends on what she has, the thing that's obviously not affecting her, making her BP drop so low, and causing her blood to be almost black," he explained.

Jexa pulled herself from the brink of passing out again, barely hearing House. "It's blood loss and the one medically relevant thing I won't tell you. That's what's wrong with me."

House leaned in. "If you don't tell me your dirty little secret and won't let me run tests to find out, you'll die."

Jexa thought about it. "I think," she said, fading in and out of consciousness for a moment. "I think, if you stay, away from my heart, you, can do any tests you want." With that, she passed out again. Torex shook her shoulder, but she didn't respond. House stood, worried that his patient slipped closer to death, but the stats stayed the same, denying his fears. House tapped his cane on the floor and nodded.

"That works for me." He turned to Torex. "I'll have one of my team members stay here, just in case she crashes because you two waited too long for treatment."

House started out, rather pleased with himself. He had done it again and made the most reluctant patients accept treatment by setting them one edge. Score one for team House.

Torex caught him before he got too far and spun him around, nearly causing him to fall off the scooter. House really didn't appreciate that. He'd have to find a way to get even later.

"I don't know what games you're trying to play," he snarled. "But it won't work with us. You're out of you're league."

"I think my games are working just fine from whatever league I'm in. Even if they're not, I'm having one hell of a good time." He whirled around and sped off down the halls.

Torex went back in Jexa's room, sat down, and buried his face in his hands. If he had just helped her fight, she wouldn't be in this mess. Too late now. He had to move on and carry out the next thing, protecting her from whatever these people had in mind. Just keep going until you can't go anymore, then see what else you can do. Melanor taught him that. He didn't blame himself for what happened, but he was the only one in a position to protect her. He remembered the chaos they caused when they came through the doors, her bleeding everywhere and his screaming for help. Nurses and doctors rushed to their aid, placed Jexa on a hospital bed, and wheeled her here. They dressed her wounds, interviewed him without success, and now they assigned House to diagnose an imaginary illness. There was nothing wrong with her. Torex leaned back in the sat and watched the door, waiting for whoever House would send.

House thought that the girl could wait a little while before he sent Taub. All of them had to be here for their first brainstorming, otherwise it gave him a reason to taunt them, not that he didn't take every opportunity anyways. An absence simply gave him an excuse to look into their lives and find different aspects about them. He jotted down the last symptom on the white board and wheeled around, facing his team.

"So, we have a sixteen year old female with low BP, heart rate, a temperature three degrees below normal without chills, and nearly black blood. Ideas?" No one spoke up. "Oh come on, it's not that hard. Let's play Sesame Street. What do they all have in common?"

"It's obviously a heart defect," Foreman said. "We should run her through the MRI, get an Xray, and then diagnose."

House threw a marker at Foreman's head. "Great, but there's one itty bitty problem: She doesn't want her heart touched. Probably keeping it virgin for pretty boy she hangs out with."

"It's not visiting hours," Master said. "He should go home."

House rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, with the girl passed out, who am I going to have fun with? I'll send him home if you want the girl to suffer that bad, but someone has to volunteer to be his stand-in." He looked around the room and settled on Taub, the shorter man who always looked uncertain. "Go. Keep the both of them company and make sure she doesn't crash."

He stood and walked out of the room, glad for the escape. He came here to work for House, but sometimes he wondered whether or not that had been a good idea. It cost him his marriage, a well-paying job, and any security he had in his life. Sometimes he felt he landed this job by default, just because House didn't like the others.

House pointed at Taub once the door closed behind him. "Is he being more mopey than usual or am I just overly sensitive?"

"You're definitely not sensitive," Master muttered under her breath.

Chase shifted in his seat, cutting House off before he could comment on Master's statement. "Who are these kids anyway? They came out of nowhere, one with a gash in her side. That was a clean cut, and not exactly shallow."

Foreman nodded. "It could be a cult. They were wearing the same black cloaks."

House saw the logic in that. Cults would do the strangest things, make members inhale or digest chemicals that interfered with systems or perform risky stunts that sometimes went badly. "Foreman, go draw blood. Tell Mr. Pouty Face to ask them about any groups they're involved in. Chase, find Wilson, and that leaves you to find Cuddy."

Master and Chase exchanged glances. "Why?" Master asked.

House sped towards the door. "Group bonding time," he said. "Wilson thinks it's important for healthy relationships."

The team watched him leave. Once he was out of sight, Master gathered her things. "Well, at least he's trying to improve." She smiled at the others, but they shook their heads and left without comment. Her face fell. "What?"

**(/)**

Jexa sat with Nothing, shivering in the Dark. Without her cloak, the darkness chilled her. She entered once she passed out, but Nothing still hadn't said a word, just stayed by her side and kept an arm around her shoulder. She didn't mind. Mostly likely he'd yell at her for not taking his offer soon enough or point out that Cirix's offer kept her from using the controlling ability. However, that was Nothing, and if she had to put up with that if she wanted to hang around with him, she would comply. The thoughts of his anger still upset her, however.

Nothing let out a long breath. "This is the second time you nearly died. How many times do you need to brush with Death before you learn?"

Jexa shuddered. "I know, I sh-should've, done better." She coughed into her hand, spots of blood showing up when she pulled it back. "I'll t-try harder, promise."

Nothing shook his head and Jexa's spirits sank lower. "I do not blame you," he said, surprising her. "You used the meager tools in your possession to fight the boy, who is far more experienced, and survived a lethal wound through methods many would not consider under the circumstances. Your combat skills are still lacking, but otherwise, your performance was exemplary." Jexa looked up at him, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. She couldn't understand why he wasn't furious. Everything she could have done wrong she did wrong. Almost as if he knew she was staring at him, he looked down and smiled at her.

"I expect better when you accept my proposition, but with this set of abilities, you could not have improved." He brushed her hair, taken down by the doctors, away from her face, his hand pausing on the scar. His face fell and he pulled back. "You should sleep dearest. Today has been tiring." He cocked his head, listening to something beyond Jexa's hearing range. "Someone will try to wake you momentarily. Would you rather stay here or return?"

She didn't give it any thought. "I'll stay here, with you."

Nothing chuckled, smiling again. "I am glad." He gently moved Jexa so her head rested on his lap. "Oh, and dearest?"

"Mmh?" she said, half asleep.

"You need to remain in that world for a week. The darkness in your blood will heal the wound faster than Zexion's, but it shall be a week before Riku's foul darkness dissipates. The wound can be treated back in your home world after that."

"'Kay," she whispered.

Yards away, Cirix lifted his head, his eyes filled with sorrow. Nothing smiled grew by a fraction of an inch. Everything was going so perfectly. Soon, things would be right again.

**(/)**

Foreman entered the room, not without a vicious glare from the other kid, and stood next to Taub. The other man didn't move or recognize that he had entered, much unlike him. He usually said something.

"Is there something wrong?" Foreman asked.

Taub raised his hand, motioning at the two kids. "He won't talk to me at all and she won't wake up. If I try to get close to her, he nearly bites my arm off," he said, frustrated.

Foreman brought out a syringe from his lab coat pocket. "House told me to draw blood. You're suppose to find out if they're in some kind of cult." He uncapped the syringe and brought it down to her arm. The guy in the corner absolutely radiated anger; he could sense it from all the way over here, so potent it almost felt like his own. What the reason was for the anger he had no idea, but he wished he would calm down. Taub seemed just as uncomfortable. Foreman capped the needle, disturbed by the darkness of the blood and that the girl hadn't woken up from being stuck. He checked her stats, but they hadn't changed since she came in, so she probably wasn't in a coma. Probably not. Still, the 'probably' part worried him.

"Taub, look at this."

Both the kid and Taub came over, although he wished that only Taub came. He snapped his fingers near her ear several times, even pulled on her hair a little, but she wouldn't wake up. Taub brought out a small flashlight, opened her eyes, and flicked the light back and forth. Jexa's pupil's dilated, but she didn't wake.

"What are you doing?" Torex asked, ready to attack the two.

Foreman shook his head. Whatever this was, it wasn't good. The disease most likely spread to the brain, so now she stayed in this coma-like state. "Get an MRI. I'll tell House she's unresponsive and then run the blood down. Maybe we'll find something we can use." He ran out of the room, gladly leaving the two active people behind. House had been right, Taub was being more mopey than usual, although he knew his coworker had his reasons. He didn't have the easiest life.

Taub pressed a button on a pad, asking for a nurse. Torex rushed over to his side, his eyes going back to Jexa every few seconds.

"Where are you taking her?" he asked as calmly as possible, still rather aggravated.

A nurse stepped in and helped Taub move the hospital bed and IVs out into the hall. "We're just going to get some MRIs," he said with just as much patience. "You should be going home. Your family is probably missing you and hers is probably wondering where she is."

Torex opened his mouth to spit back a reply, but the Organization needed to know what was going on. He nodded grimly and ran off. Taub let out a sigh of relief. That kid had been a pain in the ass. Even if House wanted him interrogated, it would have to wait until tomorrow after they found an answer for the girl.

House was catching his oversized gray and red tennis ball, his legs propped up on the desk, when Wilson and Cuddy came in, both relatively irritated, Wilson more than Cuddy since she still felt guilty about sending him back to Vicadin. So what? He told her he couldn't live without her when she left. What did she think he meant? At least their break-up meant he could do whatever he wanted and it was acceptable to push every button she had again. Still, he had to admit that the sex was more fun.

"Is there something you want House?" Wilson said. "I have-"

"Dying patients who need your support, I know. Get a team. They do all the comfort stuff so you can get back to the important things, like finding a girl so you don't have to hang out with a cat." House swung his legs off the desk, helping his crippled one along, and popped a few Vicadin. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cuddy stiffen.

"Is there some reason you sent your team to find us?" she asked. "Don't you have a case to work on?"

House wheeled over and circled them a few times. "What's your rush? You should have plenty of time now."

"House!" Wilson scolded.

"What?" he said, wearing an expression meant to be pained but coming as sarcastic. "It's a compliment. She doesn't have your cat fetish, at least I think it's a fetish, else why would you have a cat instead of a girlfriend?"

Wilson rolled his eyes. "For crying out loud, I'm not playing games with you right now. Bye House."

"Oh now come on," he said, blocking Wilson's path. "How else are you going to work out your problems if you don't talk about them?"

He pointed at House. "You're the one with the problems. You're back on Vicadin, you're running rampant around the hospital, and you're refusing to deal with your case. You're the one with the problems, not me."

"Says the guy who talks to dead people and has a white fluffy cat."

Cuddy pushed past the bickering pair. "I have complaint forms to manage, thanks to you again House, and I'm waiting for my babysitter to call about Rachel."

"Something wrong?" House asked. He liked the kid, even if she was only three. She lied so well for her age, and with the proper instruction, that gift could be honed to perfection. Cuddy couldn't see it, or maybe she refused to look, but it was much too precious to waste.

"She's sick," Cuddy said, becoming more tired just saying the words. "She has strep, the babysitter can't stay tomorrow, and I can't get anyone else to stay at home with her. I'm going to have to stay home so-"

"Bring her here. I'll watch her."

Both Cuddy and Wilson did a double take. House offered to take care of a little kid without a deal and without even being asked? That wasn't like House. He wouldn't even pet-sit without some kind of bribe, and since he and Cuddy weren't together now, he had no obligations for doing this.

"This is a kid were're talking about, not a dog," Wilson said, making sure House knew what he was getting into.

He nodded and refrained from making a joke about that. He was pretty sure that those kinds of jokes about Rachel would set Cuddy off, and they weren't very nice about a three-year-old in the first place.

"I know, and she can't be any worse than that dog you had me watch. I don't think she'll eat my cane."

Cuddy thought about it. She needed to finish work here, and Rachel liked House, but it was a matter of how responsible House could be. She sighed. There wasn't another option. Hopefully this wouldn't go horribly wrong.

She crossed her arms. "You need to have a member of your team with you at all times, preferably Master. If you so much as step a toe out of line, I'll have you out of this hospital before you can blink."

House crossed his heart. "Promise to be good."

"You better." She left, stressing out over what she just agreed to.

Wilson turned to House, astounded. "I can't believe you actually did that. This better not be some elaborate prank or she will fire you. Hell hath no fury."

"Yeah yeah, now I need to catch up with Cuddy before I forget again." He sped off through the doors. Wilson shook his head and followed.

"Someone needs to take that away from him."

House slowed down once he reached Cuddy's side.

"I need to take a look at my new patient's heart," he said.

"The one that bled all over the floor this afternoon? Go right ahead," she said.

"Great." He turned around and drove away, honking his horn.

Only then did Cuddy think about the reasonable request. So often he wanted to cut into someone's skull or something just as dangerous that she took the simple request for granted. He wouldn't ask her for an MRI scan if his job depended on it.

"House," she called after him. "Why are you asking?"

He braked sharply, the tires screeching in protest. "And here I thought you might be nice and let me go without asking," he sighed. He backed up and squinted. "She doesn't want us to do the tests."

"Then you can't do them."

"House!"

The two looked behind to see Foreman running up. House became more serious, forgetting about Cuddy.

"Did you get the results from the blood work?" he asked.

Foreman raised and lowered his shoulders, something he did when tense. "No, she's become unresponsive. She won't wake up."

House turned back around to Cuddy. "Now you see why I need those tests."

She shook her head. "It's obviously brain. Get the tests for the brain, and leave the poor girl alone. She's suffered enough."

House scoffed. "For all you know she-" He spaced out, staring at a random point before snapping back, a self-satisfied grin slowly appearing. "This is why we go well together. Then again, if all I need in a partner is someone who can give me breakthroughs, Wilson works too." He leaned towards his friend, who took several steps away. "Oh come on, for the time we've been friends you should've learned how to take a joke by now." He wheeled into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

"Aren't you going to tell your team?" Cuddy asked, a little surprised that he wouldn't run off to tell the others his revelation. Usually he couldn't stand letting the information sit in his head for more than a minute.

"Nope," he stated, the grin still there. "Why you might ask? I know how to turn it into a game." Cuddy tried to stop the doors from closing, but they shut before she took two steps. Behind the metal doors, House grinned madly, highly anticipating the conversation the following day would bring. He hadn't had this much fun since the time he had three women give him a 'massage' and Wilson walked him. That had been funny.

**(/)**

Nothing back at The World That Never Was seemed very funny right now. Saix stayed sane only through sheer force of will and the distraction of debriefing Torex. The newest member, who hadn't eaten a full meal since he left the castle, was starved, but he didn't dare ask Saix for permission to get up and grab something out of the cabinets. He found the Luna Diviner in the kitchen, so when Saix heard the short story about the fight, he immediately sat down at the table and commanded Torex to do the same. With his ADHD already screwing with his head, the hunger and being surrounded by food didn't help his recall any, the hunger more of a personal thing than anything else. Besides that, he and Eclypse had a nearly identical scenario when he first joined, bringing about a flood of memories and emotions that required suppression, else Saix would go off.

"Torex!" Saix barked, snapping the younger member back to attention. "Where is Jexa now?" Saix asked him the same question a few minutes ago, but he had drifted off and failed to answer.

He cleared his throat, trying to distract himself from the buzzing in his mind, the energy caused by his ADHD. He tapped his feet in speed with it, the only thing he could do. The inability to get up and move combined with having to pay strict attention made him feel like a live wire.

"Six-teen," Saix growled. "What happened to your mentor?"

Torex kept staring at the cupboards, Saix seemingly oblivious to his stomach growling. He still carried too much wariness towards him to ask for food, but he was so _hungry_. Maybe if he took something quickly like Eclypse taught him, maybe then he could get a mouthful. When he brought Jexa to the hospital he already had burned through breakfast and the snacks he brought with him.

Saix slammed his hand down on the table, making Torex jump. "_Torex!_" he roared, on his feet. "What happened to Jexa?"

He blinked back to focus. "Ah, um, right, Jexa, I had to leave her in a different world." His eyes and mind began to wander the room, straying from Saix and the conversation. If he only could summon one of his throwing stars, that'd keep him focused. Spinning it between his fingers and playing little games with it kept his energy briefly contained so he could work.

Saix's chair screeched across the floor, but Torex paid little mind to it until the man gripped him by the shoulders and stared him down, his cold features brimming with impatience and frustration. Torex drew back, startled by the sudden movement and the odd proximity, but Saix wouldn't budge or release his grip.

"Torex," his said, pronouncing his words calmly and clearly. He wished he could yell at him instead, but he didn't think that would work in this situation, but if it happened again, he wouldn't hesitate. "Tell me where Jexa is. You two fought Riku, she lost, and then what? What. Happened?"

"I, I opened a portal and took her to a different world," he said, eyes wide and stumbling over the words. "It was, the place was called, a hospital, Princeton Plainsboro. They don't know about us."

Saix relaxed. Finally, they were getting somewhere. "Who is 'us'?"

He squirmed, slowly losing his attention to other things. "The Organization or our real names. They think she's Jae and I'm Reto. They keep asking for medical records and to do tests. She finally let them do some as long as they didn't do any on her heart."

"Why did she agree? How does she know what these tests entail?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. She just did. She seemed okay with everything. Can you let go now?"

Saix returned to his seat, his gaze not returned. Demyx would be easier to deal with than this oddball. "How bad is her injury?"

He frowned, studying one of the metal things on his coat. "Pretty bad. She was passed out when I left."

"And you left her there with people who wanted to perform various tests on her while she was passed out?"

"I came back because everything was settled."

"Your mission for tomorrow is to bring her back," Saix instructed, standing to leave. Torex did the same. The man shot a look at the younger member, just to make sure he had at least partial attention.

"Do you understand that Sixteen? Bring her back. We need her here."

"She might still be too injured to move."

He shook his head. "We do not know who those people are, their intentions, or the type of care they can provide. She is in better hands here. Bring. Her. Back. Do you understand?"

"But-"

"Torex," he said sharply. "Do you understand?"

He nearly said no, but he knew it was an order, not a question. He gritted his teeth and nodded, a relief to Saix. Number XII left silently, leaving Torex alone to raid the kitchen and worry about his mentor.

Roxas stepped in a few minutes later, looking for something to eat. He skipped on having ice cream because both Xion and Axel told him earlier they wouldn't make it, so now he hungered for something instead of the ice cream. He never had to get food like this before, dinner sure, but not when he first came back. Things had become so complicated recently. First Xion started drawing away and now Axel stopped having ice cream after work. They seemed so distant. What had changed? The sunsets, which once looked so beautiful, now only reminded him of the things he had lost. He disliked missions to Twilight Town these days.

Torex kept half an eye on the kid since he came in and noticed how upset he acted. He finished his sandwich and walked over. After spending a whole day with people with hearts, he had become acutely aware of other's emotions, not exactly a good thing when he still felt hungover, but it let him realize just how different Roxas was from the others. Saix, even at the peak of his frustration, only dully resonated any type of negative emotion in the range Torex could sense things. On the other hand, Roxas clearly felt some form of sadness, almost enough to mistake him as a Somebody.

"Do you have a heart?" he asked, leaning against the counter.

Roxas turned slightly, his blue eyes narrowed. "What?"

He chuckled. The posture, the determination in his eyes, the boy could have made a very good assassin. Maybe he'd mention it to Melanor when he went back. For now, being the kid's friend would have to suffice. He pulled a packet of ramen noodles off the shelves and handed it to Roxas.

"Here. If you're looking for something, this is pretty good."

He took the food, still a little on edge. The last time they hung out Torex said they were friends, but so much changed since then, and even Torex wasn't acting the same as the last time. Besides that, he had effectively changed the subject without answering his question. "What was that about a heart?"

"Hmm? Oh, right." He rummaged through the cabinets looking for a dish and a measuring cup after turning on the water and letting it run so it would heat up. Having something to do initially set him off topic, but it kept his hands busy so he could talk. "You're upset about something, right?

"Yeah…?"

"The other Nobodies, they don't- Here, put the ramen in this." He gave Roxas a bowl and continued looking. "They can act like they have emotions, but usually it doesn't go beyond a certain, um, frequency, like how loud music is, but you're different. It's stronger than most. Ah, here's the cup."

Roxas became more alert and trusting at that. What Torex said meant that what he felt wasn't the product of his mind and there was a real difference between him and the others, including Axel and maybe Xion, since she acted like him some of the time. He hadn't been making everything up if Torex was right. It didn't make things any less complicated, but it was nice to know that he wasn't insane. "Do you think that's what Xigbar meant when he said I was 'special'?" he asked as Torex poured water into the dish and covered it with a chopping board he found earlier.

The elder boy shrugged, his arms crossed and staring off into space. "Dunno. Depends on the context and what he thinks makes someone special." The air had taken a less stressed one, but he still sensed Roxas' sadness. "Hey, what's wrong?"

He would have left if not for the food, choosing to look away instead. "It's nothing."

He raised an eyebrow at his dismissal. "Doesn't look or feel like nothing to me," he said, summoning a throwing star to keep calm. The last thing he needed right now was to be hyper on Roxas. "Didn't you say something about your friends the last time we talked?"

"Yeah," he said after a pause. "We don't talk much anymore."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "They don't come to the clock tower much. That's where we use to hang out when we finished our missions and eat sea salt ice cream."

"That's too bad," he said, nearly cutting himself on an edge. "Is something wrong?"

He clenched his fists, frustrated. If only he knew. Didn't friendship mean being there? How was he supposed to do that when they wouldn't let him? "They won't tell me and Axel said not to push the wrong buttons, whatever that means."

Torex gave him the food, smiling sympathetically. Poor kid. He dealt with too much for his age. "Here. You should eat before it goes cold."

Roxas nodded and took it to the table. After the brief chat, Torex noticed that there was an element of despondence to his sadness. He stalked out of the room without a goodbye, the tricks he did with the star becoming more elaborate as his mind whirled. Friends shouldn't cause others to behave in such a manner without good reason. Xion seemed to be more of a problem than Axel, so she had to be confronted first. Even if he didn't belong in this affair, he couldn't stand by while someone suffered, especially when he already did that once today.

When he reached the members' quarters, he asked Demyx where Xion's room was, since he didn't know where anyone else slept and only knew Demyx's because he tried to steal his sitar one day, and waited in her room, pacing, until she entered.

Her eyes widened when she saw him walking back and forth, the throwing star in one hand. "Uh, can I help you?"

He didn't look up from the ground, choosing to keep pacing instead. "I'd like to start off by saying I'm not angry, only defending Roxas. I think that it's an important distinction. What I came to say is that Roxas is very upset, and is actually upset, not faking it, and I'd like to know why you think you can't tell him."

She blinked and drew back. His words caught her completely off guard. "I'm sorry?"

He waved the question away. "Whatever it is, I don't need to know, but Roxas is killing himself over it. If you think you'll hurt him by saying it, trust me, it can't be worse than this."

Her shoulders sank. She never wanted to hurt him, but she needed some time to figure things out. Involving him would only complicate things further. Torex couldn't understand that. He didn't know Roxas or Axel the way she did.

"I'm out of options," she mumbled. Axel, Roxas, both of them presented no help to her now. She hated leaving them like this, but like she said, there was nothing left to turn to and no one who would understand.

_If you ever need someone, I'll be here. I know I'm not your first choice, but if you ever run out of options, you've got one more._

The memory of her conversation with Jexa flashed through her mind. Her head snapped up. Maybe she did have someone else to go to. Torex noticed the spark in her eyes and stopped moving, attentive.

"Xion?"

"Where's Jexa?"

His features hardened and he tensed. "She's, she's injured and staying in another world. Riku got her."

"Riku?" she said. "Who's he?"

He scowled. "A guy dressed like us but not one of us. Hit her a few good times and then sliced through her side. She nearly died."

"But why-?" she started, surprised. When she fought the imposter he simply disabled her, said a few cruel words, and left without wounding her too greatly.

He shrugged. "They had some history, I think, and a guy Jexa called DiZ wants us dead, so Riku tried to kill her for him."

"If Riku's doing that for him, then why didn't he kill me?" When all she received was a blank stare, she added, "I fought Riku yesterday but he didn't kill me. Saix gave me half a potion and I was fine."

Torex started pacing again, his eyes narrowed. "Then what makes you different to them? You have a Keyblade, but I don't think they care about that. Jexa knew some things about them, but DiZ wants us all dead." He shook his head. "There's something missing here. Do you about anything that might make you special?"

"Other than the Keyblade, no. Sorry I can't help."

He sighed. Just when he thought he might have made an interesting find he discovered only how little he knew. "It's fine," he said finally. "I'll figure it out later or it'll bug me. I'll tell Jexa you wanted her and see if she's fit enough to talk to you when I bring her back. Night Xion."

"Night."

She watched him leave, confused. What was the connection between her and Riku, and why didn't he kill her when he had the chance? Hopefully she could figure it out later, maybe with Torex's help.

Once he closed his door behind him, Torex realized that he hadn't convinced Xion to talk with Roxas, the whole reason he talked with her in the first place. He cursed his lack of attention and got ready for bed, the talk being replayed in his mind. If Riku didn't kill Xion, he had a motive. Either DiZ made an exception for Xion or Riku didn't want her dead. Both seemed equally likely, considering it didn't make sense to start with, so both needed to be explored. He stared out the window and sighed.

"Looks like I'll be a bit longer guys," he said, thinking of the assassins. "Keep on waiting for me."

**(/)**

**Thank you everyone for your reviews and for reading this far. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter.**


	24. It's Not the Same

**I've taken way too long to put this up and I apologize for that. Hopefully you'll enjoy it all the same~ R&R**

* * *

Jexa stayed in the Dark throughout the night, waking constantly and falling back asleep just as fast. Cold seeped through her skin while hot flashes came and went. The pain in her side had spread to the rest of her torso, making it harder to breathe because of the perceived weight on her chest. A few times she woke without Nothing, which served to make the pain seem worse, even if everything else stayed the same. Once, in his absence, Cirix stood over her, his sad yellow eyes welling with black tears. When she saw him, she managed one coherent thought:

_ This is your fault._

Cirix, he hadn't helped her, not one bit. She fought Riku and he stayed silent, watching her, letting her fight without comment. She couldn't believe he would leave her alone like that.

After that, she fell back into unconsciousness and didn't open her eyes again until morning. When she did, Nothing sat with her head in his lap, his hat tilted so it looked like he was asleep, but she saw one black eye open from the shadows. He kept his face blank, observing her drawn form without criticism.

"Your sleep was fitful," he stated. "Hopefully your day will not be as strenuous."

Jexa managed a weak smile. "That'd be nice," she said, her voice a whisper. "Where'd you go last night?"

He blinked slowly, showing some exhaustion. "I had some business to attend on several occasions. I hope my absences did not cause you any trouble. Time in Memento Mori varies depending on different factors, those which I assume you are not in a state to hear."

"Memento Mori?"

He chuckled. "You did not presume I resided here perpetually, did you? Memento Mori is the world I call home."

Jexa's mouth formed a small 'o', then she smiled. "Guess I didn't think about it. I-" A hacking fit interrupted her, sending jolts of pain through her, yet she couldn't make it stop. Once they died down she started trembling, the cold and pain too much.

"Please do not push yourself so, dearest," Nothing said, strained, covering his face with a hand. "You need not be injured more than you already are."

Jexa clenched her jaw. She wanted to do things right and finally make others happy. At the end of the day, Nothing always seemed less than impressed, never pleased. He cared for her, so she wanted to make sure his affection was well placed. Perhaps he did act odd sometimes, but he honestly meant for the best. She knew that. He said that he didn't blame her for what happened, but he still looked disappointed.

"I would have removed the darkness from your wound if I could have," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "But the technique you used to survive the attack keeps the darkness inside. I cannot remove it without causing major damage. I thought you might be wondering why I did not attempt it with you but did with your friend."

Jexa shut her eyes, hoping that Nothing understood she did so because of tiredness, not resignation.

"Doesn't matter. It's my mistake anyway. I'll make it right," she mumbled. "Everything. Whatever it takes."

Nothing chuckled. "So long as you do not break yourself in the process, that is fine with me. It is best for you to pursue worthwhile goals, and that one seems to be a fine idea. You should return to the waking world now. The doctors will be filing in shortly and you do not want to be unconscious when they are there."

She opened her eyes a crack, smiling a little when she saw him. She hadn't noticed the change before. "What happened to you?"

He touched his forehead, not amused and losing energy just from being reminded. A black smear ran underneath his bangs, a stark contrast to his pale skin and white hair. He moved his face back into the shadows, frowning.

"Never mind it. Just the result of one of the things I had to manage." He paused, twirling his cane in one hand. "Dearest, you realize I cannot lie, correct? I have sworn never to speak of things that are not true."

Jexa nodded in acknowledgment. This was news to her, but it was nice to know that he said what he meant.

"Because of this, you must know that I what I say now is not ludicrous. Your darkness, I am suspicious about his motives. Whatever it is he hopes to gain, I do not believe it will be pleasant."

Jexa shook her head, her brow furrowed. "No, that's, not him. He's annoying, and he's confused, and…" Nothing's words started to make sense. Cirix cried twice since she knew him, but if she didn't have a heart, he shouldn't be able to feel emotions either because he was a part of her, making the tears an act. His misguided actions caused her gift to shatter and this incident. It hadn't been intentional, but those showed his poor judgment. He always wanted her to stay away from Nothing, even when the man provided her with support and the means to save Zexion. Besides that, he never let Nothing show her things, called her an idiot for no reason all the time, and she got the sense that he never told her the full truth, not the thing she didn't want them to tell her, but something else. There had to be a reason for those actions. He knew something and refused to tell her. Still, he tried to protect her and half the time he made sure she received the help she needed. He wasn't evil, but nor was he great, more so someone on neutral ground. She didn't know where to place him.

"But he's just, not evil. He's not the bad guy," she said with less conviction than she would have liked.

"I understand," Nothing said, his tone flat and unreadable. She wished she could do something to change that, even just a comforting gesture, but her wound prevented it. She thought of the time when she feared Nothing, when they first met, and wondered what brought the irrational feeling on. It took his help with Zexion and his constant support to win her trust, but he did so, proving that he was to rely on. He covered Jexa's eyes and when she could see again, he had left and the hospital room replaced the Dark. The IVs still connected to her arm and the monitor read off her low blood pressure and slow heart rate. Jexa gave the monitor a glance before watching the door, scowling. What a joke, a heart rate for a Nobody, and she had to endure this stupidity for another six days. There were other things that merited her time, like Riku's suffering and the Organization. Maybe she could talk with Nothing about a few things she had questions about, a much better us of time than sitting around waiting for wounds to heal. She lazily looked outside where people bustled from room to room, carrying file folders. Even their boring routines seemed better than this limbo.

A nurse stepped in, fresh bandages in one hand, interrupting Jexa's train of thought. The woman snapped on a pair of gloves and unrolled the bandages about a half a foot. Jexa eyed her warily.

"I need to change your dressings," the nurse said. She moved forward and Jexa shrunk back.

"I can do it myself," she said with a fair amount of hostility. "I'd rather you didn't touch it."

The nurse sighed. "This is my job. It needs to be changed before the wound becomes infected."

Infection was just the thing Jexa worried they would mistake the darkness for. Just as she readied herself to try and snatch the bandages despite the injuries, Torex walked in. She relaxed.

"Reto, perfect timing. Will you get those for me?" She pointed at the dressings, but he shook his head.

"It'd be better if I got you back home. I'm supposed to bring you back."

Jexa clicked her tongue. "No can do. Getting out of here will make things worse."

He stiffened. "I'm only doing what I'm told."

Jexa chuckled softly and sank into the bed, one eye on Torex and the other on the nurse. "You wasted a whole day because you didn't think something you were told to do was a good idea, so yes, I appreciate the concern, but if I leave, I'll be out of action twice as long, if not longer."

"I can live with that," he said. He reached for her, but the nurse held him back.

"She has to stay until the doctors discharge her."

He pulled back, shooting daggers out of his eyes. "She has to leave now."

Jexa tapped on the railing, getting their attention. Her apprentice was acting a bit off today and she wanted to know why. "Did you hit your head or something yesterday, because you're awfully calm," she said to Torex.

He grimaced. "There's nothing funny about this. My head's buzzing from keeping still, but if I'm gonna protect you, then I can't be bouncing off the walls."

He grimaced. "There's nothing funny about this. My head's buzzing from keeping still, but if I'm gonna protect you, then I can't be bouncing off the walls."

Jexa paused, reminded of the time they spent together in Traverse Town when they stood on top of the Gizmo Shop. Torex had that air again, standing there with his arms crossed and a determined expression, that reminded her greatly of the assassin who caused her so much trouble back at Shift. He gave off no emotions that she could discern, only that sense of, nobility, the only way she could describe it. Jexa looked away, frowning. Shouldn't that aura been lost when his heart was stolen?

Rain splattered the windows, catching Torex's attention for a moment and causing him to lose the grace Jexa was so keen on. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She just had to be difficult. He snatched the bandages away from the nurse and waved her off.

"We can do this by ourselves, thanks," he said curtly, throwing different emotions around to confuse her and make her want to leave. The tactic worked, and the jumbled nurse walked out with little more than a frown for protest.

Torex threw the bandages at Jexa, still cross. "You've got to be joking," he said. "You want to _stay_ here when you don't know what they want to do?"

Jexa motioned him over. "C'mere. I need help taking these off."

He gritted his teeth. First she refused to come back where it was safe and now she was blowing him off. He muttered under his breath about how much he would go hyper on her once she recovered and stepped forward to help. The hospital gown made it easy to remove them without having to show anything, but the mass of darkness under the cloths caught Torex's attention more than anything else would have.

"What is _that_?"

She touched it and cringed. The darkness burned the site and her fingers with a cold fire. No wonder Zexion didn't like her inspecting his wound.

"Riku's darkness," she explained, squeezing her fingers to make the odd sensation go away. "And the reason I can't go back yet. Corridors will only make it worse."

He stared for a minute. "Shit," he said, backing away and pacing. "Damn it all. What are we going to do about that?"

"Cover it back up?" she offered, holding up the fresh cloth. Even with her long nap, the conversation drained on her.

Torex rolled his eyes and carefully wrapped it around her side, trying to remember every medically relevant thing his assassin training taught him. Behind him, the door opened and shut, the doctors no doubt, but he ignored them. This took precedence over their redundant questions. They only distracted him and provided another variable he had to keep track of. He couldn't have that. Jexa came first, the person to protect right now. He might not have blamed himself for her injuries, as they were the result of an obvious lack of training on her part and the way she let her past experiences interfere with the job, but that didn't keep him from making sure she stayed alright as possible. No one needed to suffer if it could be prevented.

House stood at the end of the bed, watched Torex finish wrapping the wound, and missed seeing the darkness, luckily for the two Nobodies. Torex spared House little attention, what he did give the doctor consisted of a striking hatred, before checking to see he dressed the wound properly.

"We have nurses who do that kind of stuff," House said. "So, you know, the patients don't get sicker. Wouldn't want you dying or anything, since you just threw my theory out the window. Thank you so much. Now we actually have to do medical work. No offense, but I have better things to do today than take care of patients with suicidal tendencies, like refusing treatment." He threw a folder down on the bed and pulled out an MRI image, holding it up to the light. "Does anything look out of place to you two?"

Both noticed the slight discoloration in one area, but neither commented, Jexa because she saw no reason to use what little energy she had to answer, Torex because he didn't trust himself not to say something provocative. While House took it as puzzlement, the other doctors, Foreman and Chase, had other questions they wanted answered and had no time to wait for clarification.

"When did she wake up?" Chase asked Torex.

"Excuse me, you're not asking the questions. It's my turn," House interrupted.

"Now you're not," Foreman said without so much as glancing at him, keeping his sight on Torex. "So, when exactly?"

"Few minutes ago, right before the nurse and Reto came in," Jexa said, surprising the doctors.

"You were near a coma twelve hours ago," Foreman said, his brow furrowed. "Now you're talking. House, it's obvious it's not heart, it's brain, so you can stop trying to prove it's heart. Let's prescribe her some meds and end the case."

House pretended to think about it. "Gee, if only things were that simple." He pointed at the monitors, which showed lower blood pressure and heart rate than the day before. "It seems she's still getting worse."

"Because we haven't done treatment yet," Foreman said, frustrated. "Once we start treating, she gets better. That's the basis of medicine, since you so conveniently forgot." He turned to Torex and Jexa. "How old are you two?"

"Nineteen," Torex said.

"Sixteen."

Chase handed Torex a clipboard. "You're the legal guardian here, the one who has to sign the paperwork. Those are the meds she has to take. They could possibly-"

He gave it back before he finished. "She's not taking any meds."

"Well, not those meds," House said, taking the clipboard and ripping the paper in half, much to Chase and Foreman's chagrin. "We'll run a few more tests, then she can take stuff. Your last blood test was whacked, so we need a new sample."

"Whacked?" Jexa asked before Torex could protest. "What do you mean?"

"It clotted right after we took it to the lab, which, of course, can be linked to the [heart]." He gave the other two doctors a pointed look. They shook their heads and left at the same time another doctor came in, Master, carrying a little girl with dark hair and dark eyes. Out of instinct, Jexa tried to sit up straighter and appear less vulnerable so she wouldn't distress the kid until she came back to her senses and realized that she didn't have to protect young children anymore. She leaned back, grumbling about stupid reactions. Torex ruffled her hair.

"Bit protective over kids, huh?" he said teasingly.

She scowled. "Give it a break. I'll explain later if it's killing you not to know."

"You do that, and I'm not giving this up," he said, grinning.

"…Shut up." She failed to think of a better comeback. Torex's grin grew as he thought of all the ways he could apply his newfound knowledge over the course of her stay and into future missions.

While Master drew the blood on House's orders, the girl walked up to Torex and pulled on his sleeve. He looked down at her to see her nose scrunched up and her lips pressed together.

"You're different," she said, pointing at him accusingly. Jexa would have laughed if she knew that it wouldn't have hurt her side.

"And what about you? You don't seem to get along with children very well."

"I don't," he said, stiff and uncomfortable under the child's gaze. The little girl continued to scowl at him, amusing House and Jexa. When she caught House looking, she cast off the cheerfulness and went back to sulking. She checked her arm to distract herself from the others, since it had been injured as well, but by Way to Dawn, not Soul Eater, so she was fairly certain it held no darkness. Besides, it didn't burn like the other wound.

"Would you mind watching Rachel?" House asked after Master left with the blood sample.

"I'm not exactly in the right shape to watch a kid and he doesn't like them, as I'm sure you just heard," Jexa said dryly, still poking at her arm.

House took off his backpack and placed it on the bed, taking out a few children's toys and offering them up. "She's self entertaining."

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Torex asked, trying to keep Rachel from climbing all over him but failing miserably. She clambered over his robes and stepped on his feet, laughing with the sweet innocence only children can make, the same sound that grated on Torex's ears. The Nobody backed up, bumping into the table and unable to retreat any further. Even if he didn't like kids, they seemed to like him. Jexa watched, reminded of the days when she had a heart. One or two of the older teens didn't get along with the little ones very well, staying for the protection, but everyone had to stay in the one location and eventually they learned how to deal with each other with fewer fights. She smiled slightly. Maybe she never liked having to provide for people all the time or rarely having a moment's peace, but at others, simple actions or routine happenings, like the ones Torex reminded her of, made it all worthwhile, just to hear the laughs and watch people open up somewhat. Torex failed to fill the last requirement, but it didn't matter much.

"Yeah, I'll watch her for a bit," she said softly.

"Noouu," Torex whined, staring down the girl from a curled-up position in a chair, half of his face hidden behind his knees. "Take it back."

"Thanks." House left without another word, leaving the three clueless as to why he wanted the girl taken care of by a sick patient.

Jexa tossed the ball at Rachel's feet, her vibrant blue eyes dull, the laughter they held moments before gone. Once the two began a small game of catch, Torex eased out of the cramped position and sifted through the little girl's emotions to find Jexa's projections hidden beneath them. Yesterday's discovery that she actually projected any emotions at all, let alone sorrow and guilt, made him wonder if she always felt that way or if he caught her at a bad time. To his disappointment, he could no longer find what she felt, partly due to the massive amounts coming from the people with hearts, and partly because, in her current state, she wasn't up to projecting anything at the moment.

He groaned quietly and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He wasn't cut out for boring jobs like this. The last idea he had was to talk with her about what she felt during the Riku mission, but with no way to start it off, that was out of the picture. Jexa didn't seem any more pleased about their situation, but at least she had the kid to entertain her. Torex stood up and opened the sliding glass door.

"I'm going out," he said. "Be back later."

"'Kay," Jexa said as Rachel waved goodbye. Trying to stop Torex from going somewhere was like trying to stop a hurricane; it went where it wanted whether you liked it or not with little chance of stopping it. Besides, without Torex around it would be a lot quieter. Growing tired of catch, she pulled one of the storybooks over and offered to read it, an idea Rachel heartily agreed to. She climbed up on the bed and snuggled next to Jexa, luckily on the uninjured side. With little more than a little gasp of surprise she began to read, trying very hard not to remember the days when such an action meant something.

**(/)**

Worlds away, two people sat in the gloom of a dark room, every interior object made of metal with the exception of the dim light bulb, the silver material giving the room a chrome sheen. The shadows hid their faces, their builds, female and male, the only noticeable thing. Long, delicate fingers drummed the table with a deliberate, slow pace, the woman cross and displeased. Her accomplice had his fingertips pressed together to form a temple and supported his forehead with the structure.

"Where is the target?" the woman asked, her voice crystal clear and, although gentle, hard as stone.

"We believe our dark little mite has found yet another world out of our jurisdiction," the man said, just as frustrated as the woman. He leaned his head into one hand and began tracing patterns on the table with the other, each movement of his finger leaving behind an imprint on the darkness as if he drew his finger through water.

"Can you find the target again?"

He grunted, unhappy with being undervalued. "It is not a matter of whether I can find your new pet but when you want her found. You know just as well as I that I can track whomever I wish without complications."

The woman paused in her drumming, then stood out of her chair, barely making a sound. Her graceful movements matched her small, lithe form. "Do you know when we will have our next sighting?"

"Depends. There were injuries sustained."

"That is not what I asked," she snapped, drawing up to look taller.

The man chuckled and slapped the table where he had traced the mark, all of his design becoming visible with the motion. "Don't get in a tizzy. It's not becoming. Anyway, I shall send a man out to retrieve the information. In the mean time, would you mind informing me where to place this beauty?" He peeled the mark off the table and dangled it between his middle and index finger. It blended into the wall behind it, making it almost invisible, save for the slight shimmer that barely set it apart.

The woman opened a Dark Corridor and invited the man in. "Anywhere in there is fine."

While he stood up, he had no intention of obeying orders just yet. He tilted his head, eyeing the Corridor warily. "'In there' being where to where? You know I refuse to enter those things without a definite location, especially when you create them."

She laughed, a sound like bells and ice. "Really, have you always been so suspicious? You shouldn't get all worked up. It doesn't become you."

"In our business you can't go running amuck. Where to where?" he growled.

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, twisting a strand when she finished the dramatic gesture. "Twilight Town to The World That Never Was. That command only works for our person, correct?"

He placed his free hand over his heart and leaned to one side, faking hurt. "Oh man, now I'm really offended. First you call me incompetent, now moronic." He came up beside her and cupped her face in his hand. "You really have _soo_ little faith in me? Come on princess, give me a break."

She smiled with glittering white teeth and touched his arm. "Get off of me or I'll rip your arm out of its socket," she said sweetly.

The man chuckled and stepped through the Corridor. "Mind keeping the coffee hot?"

"Only if you'll do some homework when you get back."

In a second all his joking manner dissipated. "That's your job, pencil pusher. I don't care how smart Boss thinks you are or if your pretty princess looks make you the favorite; I want my coffee when I get back." He left and closed the Corridor behind him, the woman still smiling with fake happiness, covering up the malice and dislike hiding inches beneath.

"Not all men can be geniuses, I guess. Someone has to make others look clever," she sighed.

"I heard that!" the man barked, his voice an echo. The woman laughed and left, the dim light leaving with her.

**(/)**

Torex pawed through a rack of clothes, picked out a few outfits, and slipped out the backdoor. They'd be returned later, but for the moment he needed the disguises. After almost two weeks of nothing but semi-serious to deathly serious work, the times called for a break. He ran into an alley and laid the clothes out on the ground, chuckling evilly at points. This was one of his favorite games. Niran and Eclypse made it up, using it as practice for infiltration and stealing or finding certain objects, although sometimes they played it just to confuse poor shop owners.

The point of the game was to go up to a specific shop and ask for an item the store didn't have, leave without causing a stir, and then go back wearing a different outfit with a little bit of make-up to change appearance and ask for the same item again. To win, either the item would have to be produced or the shop owner would close for the day. Torex had no intention of losing. One way or another, he usually found a way to win.

As he dressed in a suit and tie, he thought about the ways he could apply his new powers to the situation. Being able to affect the way people perceived him would definitely be a perk so long as he could control the projected emotions effectively. He shrugged on a jacket and used gel to slick back his hair. He decided not to wear any make-up this time and apply with the next outfit instead.

His uncomfortable, borrowed dress shoes clacked against the cobblestone of Twilight Town as he stepped up his shop of choice, holding his head high and scowling, playing the part of a rich, snotty kid. The man behind the counter snorted and set down the glass he had been polishing, his bulk making him look gruffer than Torex hoped he was.

"Whad'ya want?" he asked, drawing out the syllables.

Torex cleared his throat and straightened the tie so it wouldn't choke him. "I wa-unt a pair of throwing knives. This is a weapons outfit, is it not?" he mocked, employing his best act to be as annoying as possible.

The man glared for a moment before going back to polishing the glass, which on closer inspection turned out to be a crystal dagger. "We're out."

Torex crossed his arms and pouted, using a great deal of self control not to break into a grin. "Do you have any idea who my father is? If you don't give me those knives-"

He tossed the dagger and caught the blade without looking. "You'll what kid? Sick your daddy on me? Or maybe you'll fight me ya'self, brok'n arm n' all." He chuckled. "I don't think so. Grow up."

For a final touch he gaped then stalked off, his head lowered as to appear defeated. Once he returned to the alley he broke out into the smile he had been holding back, but that soon faded. As he recalled, the game was more fun and it didn't come in the black and white terms he seemed to be using. When he had a heart, he had to keep shifting frames of mind to retain his composure, but now it took a fraction of the effort, reducing the fun of it. Also, he remembered it to be more enjoyable and somewhat of a test to see how far he could push himself before becoming uncomfortable with the designed personality, factors mostly missing now. He slipped back into his Organization cloak, washed out the gel with water he grabbed earlier, and started down the street, focusing on his shoes. Perhaps the greatest element missing was the other assassins and knowing that he could tell them about his success when he returned to base and they would understand completely.

He scuffed the ground in front of him, unsure as to what he would be feeling. _I need to get a grip_, he scolded himself. _Instead of pining for them I need to make plans on how to get back, right after I finish things here. Niran would be peeved if I went home without getting all the information these places offered and Melanor would throttle me if I kept whining about it. Now, what to do…_

Torex weaved in between the trees of the forest and found himself in front of the mansion again. He stood in the forecourt momentarily before opening a Corridor to the other side of the gate and walking through the front doors. With the stiff nature of DiZ and Riku's diligence to the man, he expected a place with more elegance. Little light came through the window and no artificial light added to the area. Even if it was a mansion of sorts, the dark paint and occasional pile of rubble made it look dingy.

Torex took in the view, sorting out his priorities. Riku and DiZ kept Sora here, who, judging by Riku and Jexa's reactions to his small statement about the boy, was pretty important. If nothing else, he could find some intel about Sora and call it a day. He took the left set of stairs and opened the door on the far end of the hall, ending up in a library. Torex ran his hand over a few books, scowling. Again with the type of job that required patience. Fate seemed to give him the jobs he needed but least wanted whenever it found a way.

He grabbed a few books off the shelves and sat down at a small table with them. Other works cluttered the area, some opened and some closed with bookmarks in them, though he didn't dare move them for fear of leaving behind evidence of his visit. Torex rested his chin on his fist and cracked open the first book, one about a place called Destiny Islands. Smiling, he read about its history and the sandy beaches that were the most important place in the world. It reminded him of the time they took Melanor to the beach, although getting there was similar to a kidnapping. They-

_-Had been planning this mini vacation for months now. Niran set up all of Melanor's missions so that it looked like he had work for the day but in reality he finished it all three days earlier, Eclypse 'rented' two transport cars, rented meaning checking it out without the proper paperwork, a big no-no for the assassins. Reto ran through his jobs, counting them on his fingers. Get the cars packed, check, inform Zero of their idea, check, get Melanor alone, working on it, and find the papers they needed to get on their reserved part of the beach, done. He rolled his shoulders to loosen up, grinning. Everything was going according to plan._

_ Reto turned a corner to find Melanor finishing a conversation with a weapons specialist. He drew in a deep breath and clicked in the right frame of mind, preparing for the act. This was for Melanor after all, so it had to be good. He tapped his foot, waiting impatiently. Just because he tried to be calm didn't mean he had stored away all of his energy._

_ Once the specialist walked away, he arrived on stage, a folded piece of paper in his hand. Reto handed it to Melanor, keeping a straight face only by thinking of the various, torturous training exercises Eclypse would put him through and the homework assignments Niran would give him if he messed this up. The paper spoke of a new, dangerous group that threatened the lives of the people of Shift, so if he started smiling, Melanor would know something wasn't right._

_ "Niran gave it to me. She said that you should meet her in the docking bay if you're ready to-"_

_ Before he even finished Melanor was sprinting down the hall. Eclypse came up from behind him, grinning like a mad fool. She affectionately cuffed him upside the head and began dragging him down the hall._

_ "What a good little liar you've become," she said proudly. "At first you could hardly keep from laughing. I wonder if you've become any better at snatching things."_

_ Reto chuckled. He must have come a long way if Eclypse was admitting it. "Not as much as you would like, I bet."_

_ Eclypse's grin turned a bit evil. "Well, we'll just have to fix that when we come back, won't we?"_

_ Reto mentally flinched. That usually meant something another assassin gave him to watch would be stolen and he would have to retrieve it, else the owner of the item wouldn't be very happy that it had been lost. In a place where almost everyone knew a little about snitching stuff, having things stolen wasn't taken lightly. Assassins were expected to keep better watch on their things. Codes of conduct kept people from lifting whatever they wanted, but they still stole things jokingly on occasion. No matter, people still didn't like their stuff being the source of entertainment._

_ The two hopped in a car and sped out of the building just in time to see Niran and Melanor leave as well. They led the way, swerving through traffic at an unreasonable speed. Reto gripped the door handle tightly, causing Eclypse to laugh and speed up. Niran followed at around the same speed, although she took fewer risks with the other cars than Eclypse did. Reto swore that she purposely moved out of the way of others at the last possible minute just to unnerve him._

_ "Do you really have to go so fast?" Reto asked when they nearly rammed into another car._

_ Eclypse glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, still steering through the mess of cars hap hazardously._

_ "You really think I'll crash?"_

_ "Keep your eyes on the road!"_

_ She gave her full attention back to driving. "Huh. Guess that's a yes. You'd think you'd trust me by now."_

_ "Not with this!"_

_ She scoffed at his lack of faith. "Then I'll have to prove you wrong."_

_ At the same time, Niran's voice came over Eclypse's comlink. "Hey, Melanor's getting antsy. Mind going a bit faster?"_

_ She cackled, making Reto pale. "Gladly!" she yelled, flooring it._

Torex closed the book slowly, slapping down the cover to make a loud crack. He couldn't absorb any information with the memory plowing through his mind. They had a great time after Melanor calmed down from being tricked, swimming, sand fights, and simply hanging out. That was one of two vacations they took in the course of the time he was in the group, so he cherished the memory.

"God dammit," he muttered as he stood up, the chair screeching. "I need to focus here. That's what I was trained to do and that's what… Aww crap. Why am I such an idiot?" The racket he made would alert anyone in the building of his arrival. Torex cursed himself for being so careless and quietly made he way towards the door, trying not to make any more noise, but too late. The floor turned to light beneath him and faded away, causing him to fall through. He caught himself before hitting the floor and managed to roll forwards, avoiding injuring his broken arm further, but still landed in a heap at DiZ's feet. The man glared at him, his finger still pressed on a button that apparently shut off the floor. For a moment Torex wondered how it was even possible to shut off a floor, but he quickly remembered what was happening and set his head straight.

When DiZ said nothing within the first thirty seconds of their encounter, Torex decided he wouldn't wait any longer. "Don't mind me, just passing through. I had a boring mission which I should really get back to, considering my partner isn't the most capable, but I wanted something else to do for a bit, ended up here. I like this world. It's calm. Anyway, would you mind if I researched a few things here? I want to get home and I won't go back until I know enough to make my friends happy. The Organization caused me a few problems and I-"

"That's enough," DiZ scolded, holding up his hand and interrupting Torex's ramble. "I do not care what problems your Nobody friends have caused you, I want no part in it, and you certainly may not conduct your research here. I will not have your kind fouling my residence."

Torex stood up and dusted off his cloak. "Oh now that's cold. One, my Nobody friends are the ones who gave me the problem. Don't put me in the same group as them, I don't want to have to wear this stupid cloak. They stole my heart and now I'm stuck here until I can figure out what is going on. Two, your pissed-off-ness is enough to 'foul up' anything, so it's not me you should be talking about."

DiZ folded his hands behind his back, glaring at Torex. "So you are the one who accompanied the girl. In that case, you are most definitely not welcomed here."

Torex shrugged. "Whether you want me to or not I'm coming back, so we might as well get comfortable with one another." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Torex, known as Reto back in my home world, assassin there, Nobody here." He grinned at the small joke, but DiZ turned around and started towards one of the metal doors.

"I expect you to leave and stay away. If not, Riku will take care of you. With your condition, I believe it will take all of a minute to eliminate you."

Torex watched him leave, considered heeding his advice, then chased after him, tearing through the room and jumping in the chair that sat in front of a computer. DiZ tensed, furious that the Nobody dared to cross him.

Torex tapped on two keys, staring at DiZ and thinking about the reasons he would have to hide his face under the red cloth and belt. Whatever it was, he really wanted to know, simply out of curiosity, but he refrained from asking because they already weren't on good terms.

"So, pissed-off dude, this is the deal. You don't like the Organization, I'm not liking it too much either, I want to get home, you want, something that I might help with if it doesn't harm anyone. There are a few people in the Organization that I have to help out, and don't give me that look. It's just three people."

"I refuse to stoop so low as to ally with you."

"It's not stooping, it's taking advantage of an opportunity." Torex stood and laid an arm on DiZ's shoulder. "Think about it. You're being given an offer of an inside man with very few requirements and conditions. What do you say?"

DiZ jerked away from Torex, still hostile. "My answer remains the same, and for your information I am DiZ, not that ridiculous nickname you labeled me with."

"Yeah sure," he said, putting some distance between them to reduce the sickening effects of DiZ's emotions, mostly anger and intrigue, but it didn't work as well as he wanted. "I need to leave soon. Your heart is much stronger than anyone else's that I've met, so I feel like I'm going to see lunch again. We need to make this short. Either you can give up a perfect chance because of pride or you can shut up and be willing to let me stay some days. Which will it be?"

DiZ took his seat at his computer and began fixing all the things Torex messed up. "Perhaps you are deaf, but I refuse your offer." He opened a Corridor and pointed at it. "That is to your home world. Leave."

Torex growled and opened a Corridor of his own. "You're a moron. Only the stupidest people give up a chance like this." He stalked through and left DiZ alone, the man without doubts and perfectly content now that the Nobody had left, albeit he wished that Riku had been in the vicinity to kill the bastard.


	25. Helping Out

**It's a bit (*cough* a lot! *cough*) shorter than I wanted it, but I decided to heck with it and I put it up anyway. I'll try to make the next chapter a little longer to make up for it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Torex paced back and forth in the In Between, ticked. First he missed out on obtaining a perfectly good resource and now he had nowhere to go other than back to the hospital, which he wasn't too keen on. While he worried that Jexa might be harassed by the doctors, with her awake, he thought that she could take care of herself for a little bit. Besides, if he spent another minute surrounded by people with hearts, he thought he might go insane from the overload of information they were giving him. Sure he'd go back, but not now, not when he still felt like he could run a mile without breaking a sweat.

"Screw it," he muttered. "I'm going back to the mansion whether DiZ likes it or not."

This time when he reached the entrance he took the stairs to the right and the door at the end of the hall. DiZ would kill him if they met up again, so he didn't dare push his luck. White walls covered with a child's pictures greeted him, most of them centered around a boy with spiky brown hair, a boy with white hair, and a girl with very light blonde hair. He gently pulled one of the pictures off the wall and examined it, one of the girl and the brunette holding hands under a meteor shower. On the back, someone had scribbled, _Sora + I, hearts entwined_, and beneath that, _even if I don't have a heart…_

"Another Nobody?" he whispered as he pasted it back in the wall, pressing the edges on with his thumb. As he reviewed a few more pictures he heard someone gasp and take a step, from the scuffing noise he assumed back. He glanced back to see a girl with light blonde hair resembling the one in the pictures staring at him fearfully, her shoulders hunched and her hands at her mouth as if to keep from screaming. After locking eyes with her he went back to the pictures.

"You drew these, didn't you? They're pretty good. I have to ask you not to go running to DiZ since we're not on good terms right now. I'd love for him not to be mad at me, but apparently he doesn't like Nobodies. Speaking of which, you're a Nobody, so why hasn't he kicked you out?" He paused, facing her again with a picture in hand. "Wait, who're you?"

She took another step back. "Namine, and, and you?" she said quietly.

He shifted his weight onto the other foot, considering how hard it would be to make the girl not be afraid of him anymore. He had hoped that the barrage of questions would change the topic enough for some of the fear to dissipate or at least transfer to an idea less threatening, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Torex, formerly Reto," he answered. He pasted the picture back on the wall and took a seat at the long table. "Sorry if I scared you. You look a bit frightened, so…"

She clasped her hands in front of her and lowered her gaze. "It's fine. It's just, the last few times I've met an Organization XIII member, it hasn't gone too well."

Torex frowned, noticing her timid nature and that something had upset her all over again, changing her fear into something else entirely. If he knew her or the situation better, he would have tried to cheer her up, but without the knowledge that DiZ could have provided him, since the man would know about Namine, he had no idea where to start.

"Something wrong?" he asked, in his opinion one of the worst lines to use when trying to figure what was wrong.

She startled. "No! No, I'm fine."

Torex began to get uncomfortable with the whole scenario, the sensation delayed until now by his lack of a heart. "Namine, what's wrong?" he said, deathly serious.

She forced a smile. "Really, I'm fine. Uhh, thanks, about the pictures. I love drawing." Her face fell again. "I can draw just about anything."

Grimacing, Torex stood and led Namine to the other seat, the girl looking up at him in surprise and apprehension. Once she sat down he pulled the chair from the other end of the table next to her, twisting a pencil between his fingers to stay calm and not flip. With Melanor, he learned that the only way to get any sort of personal information was to freak out after pressing, but that technique rarely worked with others, so freaking out in any way was not recommended here.

"Namine," he said sternly. "What is wrong?"

She sank into her chair. "It's nothing," she whispered.

He straightened in his agitation. "No it isn't. You're way too scared for this just to be me. Something's going on and I have no intention of leaving until I know what it is. I won't leave someone behind if they're in trouble, which you obviously are. Now, tell me what's the matter!"

She flinched. "It's really nothing to be concerned about," she whispered.

Torex sighed and flopped back in the chair. "Fine, we'll start with something more basic. What are all these pictures of?"

"This and that," she said, shrugging.

He groaned and let the pencil fall to the floor. "What am I going to do with you? I can't just leave you here moping, but at the same time you won't tell me anything."

Finally Namine looked up, something she hadn't done since Torex sat her down. "You met Riku, right?"

"Yeah…?"

She wrung her hands, again refusing to look at Torex. "Maybe, since Riku's so close to Sora, I can look at a few of your memories, just a few, then I can tell if you mean what you say."

Torex stared at her blankly. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but as long as you don't screw with my memories from when I had a heart, you can take a grand tour for all I care."

Namine nodded and grabbed the brown notebook laying in front of her and turned to a blank page. She began sketching a picture that soon became evident as to the place and the subjects, the white room the two Nobodies were in and they themselves, the picture drawn from Torex's point of view. He held one of Namine's drawing he took off the wall, looking over his shoulder at the girl curiously, as if he didn't expect anyone to show up, but with a flicker of happiness, as if he was glad not to be alone. In the picture, Namine stood faceless, no emotions portrayed. The actual Namine brushed off her work, regarded it, ripped it out of the notebook, and stuck it to the wall with some kind of never-drying glue.

"You're not going to put anything on the back?" Torex asked as she finished.

"No. I don't have a good name for it yet," she said, sounding much more relaxed. Torex let out a long breath in relief as she came back to the table, some of the fright finally gone. He ran his fingers through his hair, taking it easy now, although he knew they still had a ways to go.

"What did you find out from your sampling?" he said.

"That you're being honest. I thought that you were being like Marluxia and trying to make me side with the Organization." Some of her timidness came back and a dark cloud passed over her face. "I never want to have to do that again."

Torex snorted. "See, this is why I don't like the Organization. If they're going around forcing little girls to do their work for them, I don't want to have any part in what they're doing, not that you're little or anything, you're just shorter than me, but that's okay and I'm going to shut up now." He buried his head in his arms, the sound of Namine's laughter worth the humiliation in his eyes.

When the initial humor past Namine's eyes widened. "You don't like them? But you're one of them."

He tugged on the cloak. "In name only. My loyalties lie with a different organization and that's that."

She drank in the information, leaving them in a silence Torex didn't appreciate, then began straightening the hem of her dress.

"It's kind of funny, how it all worked out," she started, her voice as soft and quiet as ever. "I wanted not to be lonely, but in the end I was more lonely than I was to begin with. Marluxia started talking to me, and at first I was so happy to be with someone else, especially someone like me, that I kept waiting for him. He told me of a place called Castle Oblivion-"

"Castle Oblivion? Where's that?" Torex interrupted.

"It's in its own world," she explained without annoyance, the short answer making Torex a little embarrassed. "Anyway, I went with him to Castle Oblivion, but when we got there, I realized that I couldn't get back. He threatened to keep me there and leave me alone if I didn't do what he wanted, and if I worked with him, I'd have someone to stay with. It scared me, how he talked to me sometimes, and then I learned that it was Sora's memories I could change and they wanted me to change them. I really didn't want to, but I didn't have a choice." She paused and gazed around the room, resting on each picture for a second before moving on. "I did what they told me. I changed almost all of Sora's memories before Axel helped me escape. To change the memories back I had to meet Sora, so, of course, I thought he'd be mad, but he wasn't. He was nice to me, the first person to ever show me kindness and mean it. I liked being with him, but I had to change his memories back, so he won't remember me. Now I'm helping DiZ and Riku return Sora to the way he was." She laughed once, fiddling with the cover of her notebook, though it sounded hollow. "People call me a witch because of my powers. I guess I deserve it. I haven't done much right."

Torex thought his jaw would break from how hard he had been clenching it. It took all of his resolve and some he didn't have not to jump out of his seat and knock it over, refraining from it only because he didn't want to scare Namine. Instead he banged his fist against the table, snarling, which, considering her expression, couldn't have startled her anymore than leaping from his seat would have.

"You, that's not right," he growled, actually shaking with rage. Fires burned in his eyes, the color closer to brown than hazel now. Namine stared at him, unsure of what to do. She could feel the waves of anger radiating off of him, so much so it was sickening, but she found herself rooted to her seat.

"You were tricked and forced into doing something you don't want to do," he said, the words strained and his expression still violent. "Now you're trying to making things right but you're being horribly mistreated." He slowly dragged his arm back and hung his head. "That's not right. You're human. You can't be abused like that."

Namine gave him the softest of smiles. "It's okay. I'm a Nobody. I wasn't meant to exist in the first place. I don't deserve to be happy."

Now he leapt from his seat and indeed knocked the chair back, again startling Namine. "I'm a Nobody too but I'm not moping about the injustice of it all!" he yelled, gesturing wildly. "You can't say that you're not enough! You can't say that you can't do anything! You can't say those things _because you're worth more than that!_ Don't you get it?"

Namine watched with a grim expression, resigned. "It's okay Torex," she said gently. "Those were kind words, but they're not meant for me. It's just, I can't expect anything more, being a Nobody. Nobodies don't get that kind of life. We just don't."

Torex's anger died for a moment, only to come back tenfold. Still, he smothered it and put on a smile. It wasn't right to yell at her like that and yelling wouldn't get them anywhere. He tilted her chin up so she could look him in the eye, biting his lip nervously.

"Namine, I've known this from the moment I met you," he said slowly, drawing her attention. He placed his other hand on her shoulder and said, "I love you."

Torex backed up, let her stumble with her words for a minute, then started laughing. "I'm kidding! But come on, who wouldn't like you? You're nice when you're not pouting about the things you can change. Cheer up."

Namine gaped, taken by the sudden turn of events and the difference in Torex's emotions from one minute to the next. "I, but you, I'm not sure I understand…"

Torex made a show of rolling his eyes. "You need to lighten up, that's what. Take a minute and decide what you want to do."

"I want to be with Sora, but I'd hurt him if I stayed and I can't hurt him anymore," she said bitterly.

He brought the picture of her and Sora under the meteor shower to the table. "You can change his memories, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then bury this one under the other memories and hope that he'll find it one day. Tell him what happened and that you're sorry." He pushed it towards her and left it there, leaving her to stare at it while he opened a Corridor. "Now I've got things I need to do for that damned Organization and things that don't involve it at all that are way more important than it, so you take care of yourself and Sora and make sure that you get at least a little bit of life into you, m'kay? I'm not taking no for an answer. See you later Nami!" He rushed through the Corridor before she had a chance to answer. She picked up the picture she had drawn a long time ago, considered it, and smiled honestly and without pain for the first time in months.

* * *

Torex walked in on Jexa and waited for her to finish her game with Rachel before waving to her. She barely glanced up before going back to the game, starting a new round with the girl. The toddler screamed in delight and surprise each time Jexa broke their stack of hands to tousle her hair or poke her nose, which coincided with Rachel winning the game because Jexa broke formation. Torex sat down in his chair, tapping his foot and smiling, happy that Jexa wasn't miserable and that nothing had happened while he was away. She looked ragged and she grimaced every time she stretched her side slightly or moved her arm the wrong way, but he assumed that she would stop before she passed out or did more damage to her wounds, although he wasn't above upping the dosage of morphine to make her sleep if worst came to worst. The two played one final round before Jexa asked Rachel to show her how one of the toys worked, at which point the Organization member looked wearily at Torex.

"For three hours," she mouthed. "Games like this."

Torex's smile turned sheepish. "Sorry, I was in Twilight Town for-"

She shook her head firmly, pointing at Rachel. "You've dealt with kids much?" she said.

"No," he said, confused.

"They repeat everything. Best spy device man has for general information. I don't doubt that's one of the reasons House left her here. If I figured that out earlier I might not have taken her."

"Where's Twilight Town?" Rachel asked.

"Guess that plan didn't go too well," Torex muttered.

"What plan?" Rachel asked, becoming more and more interested.

"Would you mind telling her a _story_ about Twilight Town?" Jexa asked before he could do too much damage. "She'll probably sit next to you for a bit, but as long as you keep it interesting she won't bother you. She's no trouble."

Torex understood what she meant. If they made it a children's story instead of an actual place no one would question them. "What should I tell her?"

Rachel tried to climb back up onto the bed but Jexa shook her head and stood up, hissing at the pain it caused her. Torex cried out in protest, only earning a glare for his concern.

"Tell her about the actual Twilight Town. It'll be the easiest to describe. Tell her everything about it, down to the Shadows. I have to go to the bathroom. Try not to let all hell break loose while I'm gone, okay?"

Torex nodded glumly as Rachel clambered into his lap, waiting expectantly for the story. Sighing, he started, using his best interesting voice for the story. Jexa hacked in the bathroom, drawing his attention away from the kid and the story.

"You okay?" he called.

"I'm fine!" she spat. "I'm not dying!"

"Could have fooled me," he muttered under his breath.

Rachel tugged on his sleeve. "What was the sunset like?"

"Hmm? Oh right. You see, it's always sunset, so the streets are painted with colors, like a rainbow with only yellow, orange, and red but prettier than you've ever seen. Everyone's happy there, and all people eat is blue ice cream that's salty and sweet…"

In the bathroom, Jexa stood over the sink, trying to quiet the coughing that racked her body. So far only the initial fit had been audible, but they still came and brought the taste of blood into her mouth. She spat out the dark liquid and leaned over the sink, gripping the sides tightly and breathing heavily.

_I never want to be sick like this again, no matter what it's from, ordinary wound or dark, never again._ She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, only mildly surprised by what she saw. Dark circles hung beneath her eyes, making her pale skin look even paler, so colorless she thought she was just a few shades off from being as pale as Nothing. She wiped a spot of blood from the corner of her mouth without thinking and nearly fell from the lack of support. Quickly she grabbed the other side of the sink, her blood pounding in her ears but not in her chest. Apparently only one arm wouldn't support her weight now. Jexa grimaced, took one last look at her dull eyes and worn face, and hung her head again.

_Sometimes I wonder why in the world I'm here at sixteen. I barely have enough experience to keep me from getting killed, just barely, and I still have no idea how the Organization is really run. Saix didn't care to show me, or was it that he wasn't supposed to? Either way whoever thought that idea up wasn't too smart if they wanted me to do well. Already I don't think I meet the standard, even with instruction. I was made a Nobody on Xemnas' orders, but a blind man could have seen that my skills were lacking. He had no idea what my powers would have been, so why did he bring me into the Organization? There's no reason for me to be here._ She spat again, trying to remove the metallic taste from her mouth. _This makes no sense. I'll serve the Organization and get my heart back, which I'm not even sure I want. I'm still clueless as to what I'm doing, and this far in with an apprentice that's not a good thing. Maybe I'll ask Nothing what it is the Organization wants of me. He usually knows what's going on_. Asking Cirix didn't even cross her mind and the dark creature didn't protest it.

This time she didn't dare risk leaning off of one arm to stand. "Torex," she called. "I'm stuck over the sink. A little help."

He opened the door almost immediately after she called and slid underneath her uninjured arm, helping her back to her bed and refraining from commenting on the fact that she said that she didn't need any help minutes before. After he helped her back into bed he started chuckling quietly.

"What?" Jexa snapped.

"For a minute there I thought you were going to say that you needed help in the bathroom when you called me."

Jexa scowled. "Remember who gives the report at the end of the day."

He snickered. "Right now it's me."

With a lack of things to say that wouldn't put her in further trouble, Jexa grit her teeth and pulled the sheets up to her neck.

"I'm surprised you even called," he said after she stayed silent.

She glared at him. "I have no emotions to speak of, so I'm not going to be embarrassed, and my pride can't be hurt any more than it already is. If I stood there for too much longer all that would have happened was my arm give out. It already hurts more."

Torex pursed his lips. "So you were supporting yourself with your injured arm?"

"I didn't have much choice."

He sighed. "And here I thought we were coming so far in proving that you do have a brain."

"Since there's a small child in the room I'm not allowed to use profane language to insult you. Go finish your story."

He scowled. "Can't I go find the doctor and give her back?"

Jexa noted the promotion he had given Rachel from being an 'it' to a 'her'. "Sure. Go back home once you give her back, okay?"

"You'll be alright?"

Jexa nearly scolded him for pretending to be concerned when she realized that he actually meant it. She frowned. Only Somebodies retained that kind of compassion. Nobodies could care for one another, but true concern was something rarely seen, if ever.

"Yeah I'll be fine." She studied him for a moment. "Why are you always so, cheery? Maybe that's the wrong word, but whatever it is it's odd for a Nobody and it bothers me."

He grinned. "You're just jealous of my natural charm." He winked and Jexa rolled her eyes at the display. He laughed and motioned Rachel to follow him.

"C'mon kid, let's go find your dad." He let Rachel take his hand and lead him out the door since he had no intention of hunting her down later. Jexa smirked when he called House Rachel's father as the man had specifically said not to call him anything of the sort when he stopped by about an hour after Torex left. She fell asleep before she could imagine the scenario, skipping the Dark entirely for the first time in ages. It was a purposeful action and she vowed to spend some time with Nothing tomorrow to make up for her absence tonight. However, tonight she still didn't sleep well, mostly because of the grating, chalkboard like voice she hadn't heard in ages arguing with Cirix once again, though Cirix seemed less confident in his words than before. After listening for a short while she tuned them out, preferring the muted, angry buzz to the pained voices. It hurt to hear how upset Cirix sounded, but she didn't want to accept the fact that it hurt. Nobodies couldn't hurt like that. She wrapped her arm around her side and lowered herself to the floor, closing her eyes to the blackness, but the voices and knowing about Cirix's sadness kept her up for hours. It was well into the night before she fell into a fitful sleep.

The next day she didn't wake up until midmorning, feeling groggy and as if someone had poured concrete into her head. Something clicked four or five times but the sound didn't register until the whirring started.

"What the hell?" she murmured, but the words came out slurred so it was difficult to tell if she had said anything at all.

"Stay still and shut up," House clipped from over the mic. "You have no idea what I went through to get this MRI."

With her thoughts clouded the connections between one thing and the next came slower than usual. House had her in a MRI machine. It sounded like he was alone in this, so he had her in there for pictures of her nonexistent heart. He must have sedated her earlier to keep her quite and still, making her head fuzzy. Hopefully she still had time to mess up his test. She started banging against the side of the machine, more like gently knocking in her drugged state.

"You seem lucid enough to know that you shouldn't be in there, so get it through your head that you need to stay still, otherwise we'll be here all day. I don't know what it is with you that screws up all the tests, but the first MRI I ran couldn't piece together an image. Now, seeing as this scan is ruined beyond all belief, we need to start a new one. Keep the scans I have to rerun under two and I'll buy you an ice cream when we get out as a treat for being a good girl."

"Moron," she said, the words still slurred but the meaning clear enough. He ignored her and reset the machine, beginning a whole new cycle of clicks and whirs.

About an hour later during the third scanning, Jexa decided that enough of the drugs had made their way through her system to have little effect now. She had stayed silent and still earlier only because she didn't want to look like a drunk who couldn't pronounce their words correctly.

"You're looking for my heart, right?"

House sighed. That was another scan ruined. "No ice cream for you."

"What, because I got the right answer? Not that I care, it was pretty stupid to begin with."

"Great. Now let me run my test."

"So you haven't found anything yet?"

"Do I have to sedate you again?"

"You're not going to find what you're looking for."

House scoffed. "I'm looking for your heart, of course I'll find it. I'm just looking in the wrong place or the machine's broken," he said, rather agitated.

"You're not going to find it."

Jexa expected to hear the machine start again when House didn't answer, but instead the table she was laying on pulled out. House stood over her, his eyes narrowed.

"Why do you sound so certain? What the hell did you do to make the tests void?"

Jexa drummed her fingers on the table. "What did you see on the scans?"

"The machine's-"

"The machine isn't broken," Jexa cut in. "Congrats. You got the information you wanted. If you tell me what you saw I can tell you the truth."

Every case was like a puzzle to House, and this one just kept getting more and more interesting. "What does one have to do with the other?"

Jexa tried to move her legs off the table but her side hurt her too much to move. She shifted back, annoyed with House and the state she was in.

"Whatever you saw was it. The machine's not broken, the images you got weren't damaged in any way. I can't be clearer than that."

House shook his head. "If I believed you or trusted you, which I don't, that would mean your heart's in shreds and you should be dead."

Jexa shrugged. "Fine. If you don't believe me I get in a lot less trouble when I get back home. That makes things much easier for me."

House stared at her, examining her face to find any hint to show she was lying but not finding a thing. "It's simply not possible," he said, the words sounding odd to his ears.

Jexa looked around the room and pointed at the stethoscope a doctor had left in the glass room people monitored the MRI from. "Bring me that."

House took a deep breath and shook his head. "No. I'm running my test again."

As he reached for the panel that controlled the table, Jexa summoned her sword and held it between House and the panel, glaring. House yelled and stumbled a few feet back, nearly tripping and falling to the floor.

Jexa watched him impassively. "You have no idea how much holding this damned thing hurts my side. If you want more proof that I'm not exactly like you, I can either show you a few more tricks or you can bring me the thing. Your choice."

Since he had no idea what tricks she meant, he got her the stethoscope. She made the sword disappear and reached for the tool.

"Thank you," she sighed. "Was that so hard?"

For once in his life House had been stunned speechless, but the mute phase didn't last forever. He rubbed his eyes with a hand, tense. "For god's sake, warn me when you're going to pull something like that. I know it might seem weird but most people don't pull weapons out of thin air. You should really get that looked into. Do you realize how much of a problem you'd cause at airport security?"

"What would they do, lock me up?" she asked dryly.

"Hopefully for a very long time." He smiled one of his sarcastic smiles, so, thinking he deserved another lesson in humility, Jexa opened a Dark Corridor. House swore at the unexpected doorway but didn't leap back half as far. Jexa frowned.

"That wasn't nearly as fun," she muttered, closing the Corridor and handing the stethoscope to House.

He took it crossly. "Unless your other tricks involve pulling a stripper out of thin air, I don't want to see them."

Jexa grinned. "Y'know, there's this one creature I can summon up that, if you squint really hard, sort of-"

He held up a hand. "Does it-?"

Her face fell. "I'm done playing. Can you just listen so you can know that I don't have a heart?" She hadn't gone blank, but simply became fed up with the antics. There was only so much that she could take, even on a good day.

House took note of the sudden change and held the end of the stethoscope to her chest. At first he thought that he had done something wrong, but once he had check to make sure nothing was broken and listened again, he was forced to accept the fact that this girl had no heart. He stared at her disbelievingly. This went against everything he ever learned, against anything anyone had ever learned.

Jexa shot her hand up so he could help her sit up. "The anatomy of Nobodies is rather complex. I can explain it later if you'd like, since I don't think people will believe you."

"They'd think I was hallucinating again if I did," he said, grabbing his cane and limping off. "I'll send someone in to get you back to your rooms so don't run away."

Jexa groaned and let her arm fall. "Of course I had to deal with the guy with a twisted sense of humor. Of course." She covered her face with her arm, not bothering to fall asleep but simply relaxing in the darkness. It would be a long day and she hadn't even talked with Cirix or Nothing yet.


End file.
